I Just Watched...

[Masha]

The Grass Is Greener (1960)

An American invades an English country home with the intention of carrying off the lady of the house.

Cary Grant as a house husband! I believe that is all that you should need to know to compel you to watch this movie.

It is a comedy of manners directed by: Stanley Donen. It is of an age and society when gentlemen invited their wife's lover to the country for a weekend. It is filled with gentle humor and witty double-entendres with the audience in on the joke.

Robert Mitchum as the interloper seems to me to be a bit miscast but he presents well.

Deborah Kerr is the wife in question and Jean Simmons rounds out the cast as her friend who is a little minx.

There are no car chases, no explosions except a wife blowing up at her husband and it is quite late in the movie before anyone is shot.

8.6/10

It is available for viewing for free with commercials on: PlutoTV.

[Belle]

"Some Came Running", 1958, Vincente Minnelli. Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine, Dean Martin. I watched a restored wide-screen version on YouTube and it won't be around long. Minnelli's production design skills are in evidence, particularly in the final, devastating scene. No doubt influenced by "Strangers on a Train", Minnelli adapted his skills from "An American in Paris" to glorious colourful effects - which went on to influence later film-makers, not least our own Australian Baz Luhrmann. Minnelli knew how to use widescreen to great effect, unlike many of his contemporaries who simply could not fill that screen!

Shirley MacLaine is the standout performer in this film.

[TikiSoo]

Last night I watched IMPACT, a 1949 film directed by Arthur Lubin and starring Brian Donlevy. I had been searching for Anna Mae Wong movies I hadn't seen before and this was almost her last appearance. Sadly, she only plays the "maid" and has very little screen time.

It's a pretty interesting crime mystery with Donlevy's spoiled wife played by Helen Walker, who along with her lover, has plotted to kill him. The story has a lot of twists & turns and the husband survives the planned "accident" and the rest of the movie is his attempt to unravel what actually happened.

Along the way home to San Francisco he stays at a war widow's garage as a mechanic, letting us see what a square guy he really is. The widow is played by gorgeous Ella Raines who falls hopelessly in love with him. (she's beautiful, but painfully skinny!)


Back home, a police detective becomes involved in the case, played by Charles Coburn who almost steals the show-

(that's supposedly her lounging robe)
The great charactor actor Coburn has a slight Irish brogue & as usual brings a lighthearted vibe to an otherwise grim story.

All hinges on Su Lin and everyone scrambles to get her testimony at the last minute, clearing Donlevy. The closing credits cite Jason Robards as the Judge, but scrolling back see the Judge is an older man. Apparently, Robards just reads the Judge's last lines off camera, as the actor who plays the Judge never speaks!
Disappointing if you're looking for an Anna Mae Wong performance, but a decent movie carried by the talent of the cast, writing and taut editing. Great poster with NONE of the pictures actually in the movie, haha-


I love Brian Donlevy who always reminds me of Bruce Willis. At one point, the widow's Mother finds out Donlevy's story and says, "It's a lot easier for someone of 50 to see things more clearly than someone who's 25." Really? Donlevy looks more like a 40 year old than a 25 y/o. Just looked it up, despite his smooth wrinkleless face, he was 47-48 when this movie was made.

[Lomm]

Finally got my (now wife...when we started was my fiancee) into another classic. I played it very safe and went with It Happened One Night. She enjoyed it very much. It was the first non-Myrna Loy one we watched, so it opens up more avenues.

[dianedebuda]

Congrats, Lomm. May there be many happy years of classic movie viewing ahead of you.

[Detective Jim McLeod]

The Grass Is Greener (1960)

I had seen this many years ago but can't recall much. In the book "The Films Of Cary Grant" this got some very bad reviews at the time.

The Hollywood Reporter called it "one of the year's most disappointing films"

The Commonweal said "the best thing about The Grass Is Greener is it's title." The critic also said "Brighter than the dialogue is the musical score stemming from Noel Coward songs. It's too bad Coward couldn't have written the wisecracks too."

[TikiSoo]

Jason Robards, father of Jason Robards, Jr. It's confusing to us because the son is better known than his father.

Ah, thank you for that clarification.
I was thinking it was a "Voice over" because it sounded exactly like Jason Robards (Jr's) voice. As is the case with many family members-they can sound very much alike.
My voice is often mistaken on the phone for my Mother's by relatives.

[Belle]

"Pimpernel Smith", 1941, Anatole de Grunwald/Leslie Howard, starring Leslie Howard. Not a bad little film about the war. Howard always seemed old to me in every film he made!!

[Belle]

"Jane Eyre", 1943, Robert Stevenson (director) Bernard Herrmann (score). Joan Fontaine, Orson Welles, Peggy Ann Garner, Margaret O'Brien, Elizabeth Taylor.

It's been years since I've seen this film and a nice restoration is available. Herrmann's music is the best part of the film and there were more than shades of "Citizen Kane" in its brooding, gothic atmospherics. But I'm afraid I just laughed at the complete over-acting of Orson Welles; his performance was risible. And Joan Fontaine as the simpering and solicitous Jane wasn't much better. The film did a disservice to a well-written novel which had many layers of complexity.

[Belle]

"Carousel", 1955. The Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones director Henry King. A glorious restoration of image and sound.

A scene of particular note in this beautiful film - not to be compared with the absolutely astonishing ballet segment - is "When The Children are Asleep", here at 1:10:27. The scene is a perfect synthesis of image and music; the gliding of the sailboats moving together in a graceful dance, accompanied by this wonderful song. Perfection. And very powerfully emotive, back projection and all!!

I saw this film when I was a child not yet 10, on the big screen in Cinemascope 55, and I was absolutely brought to my knees. Even then. My love affair with film had formally begun; according to memory. (Actually it was probably much earlier with "The King and I".)

[TikiSoo]

"Carousel", 1955.
I saw this film when I was a child not yet 10, on the big screen in Cinemascope 55, and I was absolutely brought to my knees. Even then. My love affair with film had formally begun

Wow really? I must be a real puddinhead- I didn't get this movie at ALL!

Shirley Jones is one of my very favorite actor/singers, as is Gordon MacRae & Cameron Mitchell...and as many of you know, my job is restoring carousels -why WOULDN'T I love this?
When I saw it for the first time maybe 10 years ago, was dumbfounded by the plot; a womanizer's spirit haunts his daughter to warn her from men like himself? Oy.
I usually love fantasies with ghosts/spirits/angels, but no heart strings were pulled, I only found it weird. Sure, Shirley Jones is gorgeous & I love her performance, but just hated this story.

The only redeeming factor (for me) was the revelation of seeing the ride operator singing along with the band organ. I never imagined that, but bet it's historically correct- working on the ride for hours upon hours, you can't help singing along when hearing a familiar song play. Luckily, I work when the ride is closed

OK Belle, since you were so impressed, I'm going to give it another whirl- hope I like it better second time around.

[Belle]

The film is actually based on a serious play, "Liliom" by Ferenc Molnar (Hungarian-American playwright) and it has been transposed to serious cinema a few times before and, of course, the stage was its original home. There was always darkness in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals; domestic violence, bullying and exclusion in "Carousel", racism in "South Pacific", racism, authoritarianism and sexism in "The King and I" and cruelty and violence in 'Oklahoma". (Barbara Ruick - who played Julie Jordan's friend in the film, died prematurely at the age of 41 from a cerebral anuerysm. She was married to composer John Williams at the time of her death.) "Carousel" uses the archaic plot device of the deus ex machina.

Here's a Wiki entry about the play "Liliom":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liliom

Though "Carousel" made generally poor use of Cinemascope 55 (according to Shirley Jones) director Henry King is responsible for that as he simply didn't know how to fill that large screen. The film was shot on standard 35mm and also in Cinemascope 55 contiguously. Sinatra was offered the role of Billy Bigalow but he wouldn't take it as he didn't want to shoot every single scene twice. Apparently.

The ballet sequence between Susan Luckey and Jacques D'Amboise (from the NY City ballet) is just beautiful. I think it's the highlight of the film and, of course, three of the four R&H musicals put onto film have extended ballet sequences in them. Of all of them, the "Small House of Uncle Thomas" from "The King and I", choreographed by Jerome Robbins, is an unqualified masterpiece.

[Allhallowsday]

THE SERPENT OF THE NILE (1953)



Starring RHONDA FLEMING WILLIAM LUNDIGAN RAYMOND BURR MICHAEL ANSARA ...and JULIE NEWMAR !!! When Julie was brought into the "throne room" (she has no lines) painted GOLD ...I recognized her right away! As described in WONG FOO - truly statuesque!!!

WILLIAM CASTLE directed... (uh-oh) and it is LOW RENT. Deepo cheapo. REEL GAH - BAJ. Can't wait to see it again (with long term planning).

[jamesjazzguitar]

Watched the noir Side Street (1950) last night on MOVIES noir Thursday. I have seen the film before, and I find it to be a really solid noir.

Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell are re-teamed after their fine performance in another first-rate noir, the Nick Ray film, They Live by Night. These two have really great chemistry. Here O'Donnell doesn't have as well scripted of a role as she had in They Live by Night, since most of the focus is on Granger.

Side Street is directed by Anthony Mann. One of the best MGM noir films.