The Silver Screen Oasis

“A pretty girl is better than a plain one. A leg is better than an arm. A bedroom is better than a living room. An arrival is better that a departure. A birth is better than a death. A chase is better than a chat. A dog is better than a landscape. A kitten is better than a dog. A baby is better than a kitten. A kiss is better than a baby. A pratfall is better than anything.”

In "Easy Living" (written by Sturges) there are enough pratfalls in the automat scene to last anyone for some time. And if you're going to have a dog you might as well have two English Sheepdogs.

Yeah, he's right.

The only Sturges film I've seen that disappointed me was "The Great Moment." It starred Joel McCrea and it wasn't what I was expecting. More biography than anything it wasn't as fun as I had hoped. I qualify that with that I have not seen "The Sin of Harold Diddlebock" or some of the late ones.

[u]ChiO[/u] wrote:Saturday night is loaded with Preston Sturges. A fine time for some enterprising soul to start a Preston Sturges thread.

[u]JACK FAVELL[/u] wrote:“A pretty girl is better than a plain one. A leg is better than an arm. A bedroom is better than a living room. An arrival is better that a departure. A birth is better than a death. A chase is better than a chat. A dog is better than a landscape. A kitten is better than a dog. A baby is better than a kitten. A kiss is better than a baby. A pratfall is better than anything.”

[u]kingrat[/u] wrote:Preston Sturges on Saturday night sounds great. Maybe if some enterprising person started a thread on Sturges, we could all share our impressions, thoughts, likes and dislikes the way we did a couple of years ago about Billy Wilder? That was a great discussion.

( ) I like it when folks are in cahoots. ( )

SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 2012

8:00 PM
SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS (1941) - A filmmaker masquerades as a hobo to get in touch with the little people.
Dir: Preston Sturges Cast: Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake, Robert Warwick.
BW-91 mins, TV-G, CC,

9:45 PM
CHRISTMAS IN JULY (1940) - An unemployed dreamer thinks he's won a big radio contest.
Dir: Preston Sturges Cast:  Dick Powell, Ellen Drew, Raymond Walburn.
BW-67 mins, TV-G

11:00 PM
GREAT MCGINTY, THE (1940) - A hobo rises to town mayor when he hooks up with a crooked political boss.
Dir: Preston Sturges Cast:  Brian Donlevy, Muriel Angelus, Akim Tamiroff.
BW-82 mins, TV-PG

12:30 AM
LADY EVE, THE (1941) - A lady cardsharp tries to con an eccentric scientist only to fall for him.
Dir: Preston Sturges Cast:  Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn.
BW-94 mins, TV-PG, CC

2:15 AM
HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO (1944) - A group of veterans help a small-town fraud convince his family he was a war hero.
Dir: Preston Sturges Cast:  Eddie Bracken, Ella Raines, Raymond Walburn.
BW-101 mins, TV-G, CC

4:00 AM
PALM BEACH STORY, THE (1942) - To finance her husband's career, a married woman courts an eccentric millionaire.
Dir: Preston Sturges Cast:  Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor.
BW-88 mins, TV-G, CC

Some movie entitled SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS (1941) precedes CHRISTMAS IN JULY.

It is my understanding that some people find it an amusing movie.

John L. Sullivan: I want this picture to be a commentary on modern conditions. Stark realism. The problems that confront the average man!
LeBrand: But with a little sex in it.
John L. Sullivan: A little, but I don't want to stress it. I want this picture to be a document. I want to hold a mirror up to life. I want this to be a picture of dignity! A true canvas of the suffering of humanity!
LeBrand: But with a little sex in it.
John L. Sullivan: [reluctantly] With a little sex in it.
Hadrian: How 'bout a nice musical?

Good catch my good man. Good catch.

It was all I could do to stop myself titling the thread "Preston Sturges, Weenie King". But we are all too high class around here for that kind of horsing around, right?

Right?

Hello?

I always liked The Sin of Harold Diddlebock, also known as Mad Wednesday. In fact, it was my first introduction to Sturges, without really knowing who he was, years ago on WFLD in Chicago. Bad print, still loved it. I watched it every time it was on. A lion is better than two sheepdogs. I think some uppity critics took pot shots at the film because they didn't understand COMEDY.

Again, you got a snort outta me. At least I'm home right now.

Some folks are ahead of their time. I just love that Sturges started off as a writer, and then directed his own scripts. Aaaaaah, the power. Aaaaaah, the control. Aaaaah, the weenie.

I look forward to revisiting his work this Saturday. The full monty of Sturges (back-to-back-to-back-to...) will be an education.

I'm just disappointed they couldn't fit in my favorite, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek.

We're not so high brow that we couldn't have the "Weenie King." I probably qualify but in the worst way possible.

"Diddlebock" has a terrible reputation but I'd like to see if more for Lloyd than Sturges. But if you like it then the search must be put into high gear.

I think there are two versions, one shorter directors cut by Lloyd, which is called Mad Wednesday, and the other longer directors cut by Sturges, called The Sin of Harold Diddlebock. It would be great if these were together in one package, but I don't know if that's the case.

Apparently, the bargain struck at the time the movie was made was that they each had the final edit. That's why there are two titles, and two different running times. I got this all off of IMDB, from something posted in the customer reviews so take it all with a grain of salt please.

One thing for sure is I'm not going to his tailor.

BRILLIANT!! The first twenty minutes of this film is better than the last ten years of movies.

It's a great film. The chemistry between McCrea and Lake is wonderful. The ride back from the diner in his big car is such a treat.

The only flaw is he gets out of jail a little too easy considering he was convicted of beating the rail yard man. Unless we can conclude they realized he was out of his mind at trial.

Jackie, I also adore Miracle at Morgan's Creek. My mother also loved this madcap Betty Hutton/Eddie Bracken vehicle, but mainly because when she was in high school, everybody said that she reminded them of 'Tah-Dah" --Betty Hutton! Of course, we are so different....

What, Chris, you don't like that plaid?

And I missed Sullivan's Travels. Again. I was invited out to dinner. I have NEVER seen this film. Well, back on the bucket list....

And, Cinemaven, after your comment about the first 20 minutes, the angst runs deep.

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After having a fun day between my grand kids stopping over, and getting my new shower curtain and rod hung, and enjoying a lot of never before seen Cheyenne episodes, I was in a very good mood to watch Sullivan's Travels. I have heard so many times how funny it is and so great, I was really looking forward to what should be an enjoyable Saturday evening. . . NOT. I don't think I cracked a smile during the whole 148 minutes, except perhaps when they were trying to get on the train. I get the point of the movie, in fact I kind of knew what he was going to say as soon as the laughing started during the movie. Joel and Veronica DO make a great team. She fits with him just as she did with Alan Ladd. Considering when this movie was made, as we were finally getting cured after the terrible recession of a few years earlier, and knowing about the war going on in Europe, I don't see how people found humor in our sad recent past, the remnants of which were still hanging on.

If I'm wrong, please give me a few ideas of what I'm not seeing. Thanks.
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