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Re: TCM Race and Hollywood: Arab Images on Film

Posted: July 8th, 2011, 3:46 pm
by moira finnie
Oh, what a great story, Nitrate--
I do wish that TCM could have found a way to persuade the owners of the Paramount library to let them show this movie, which has been aired in the past on TCM. I'll have to see if I can get a copy from the library now. Thanks for adding that info.

Re: TCM Race and Hollywood: Arab Images on Film

Posted: July 13th, 2011, 3:36 pm
by intothenitrate
Showing The Crusades certainly would have been a lot more illustrative of the theme than the The Lost Patrol. I just re-watched that one, and there are virtually no insights to be had with regard to the 'Arabs'--other than an occasional overwrought railing against them.

Re: TCM Race and Hollywood: Arab Images on Film

Posted: July 13th, 2011, 3:56 pm
by moira finnie
intothenitrate wrote:Showing The Crusades certainly would have been a lot more illustrative of the theme than the The Lost Patrol. I just re-watched that one, and there are virtually no insights to be had with regard to the 'Arabs'--other than an occasional overwrought railing against them.
Other than being a faceless menace in the sand dunes, I couldn't see how this really was a good example of stereotyping--except that the film de-personalized the Arabs so well that imitative The Lost Patrol variations have been made in other genres as well, notably westerns and sci-fi films, with Native Americans and Aliens as the enemy "out there." I am curious about what your opinion will be of King Richard and the Crusaders (1954), nitrate. I think you will find it compares fairly well to The Crusades.

I did not have time to see much on Tuesday, but I thought that Prof. Shaheen's ambivalent attitude toward Lawrence of Arabia (especially the ending showing the Arabic tribes in chaos in need of European notions of organization) was interesting. I think I'd like to read this man's book to read more about his thesis now that I've seen the documentary.

Does anyone have any idea which group might be a good choice for next year's Race and Hollywood Month?

I'd like to suggest Italians. What an exhaustive number of films to choose from on this topic! And there are so many lingering stereotypes clinging to Italian-Americans that should be re-examined.

My naughty choice (that will never appear) for a focus next year would be WASPs. They have been stereotyped, big time, too--and they are the last group who people feel comfortable disliking fairly publicly since many seem to feel they are still the power brokers in this world.

Re: TCM Race and Hollywood: Arab Images on Film

Posted: July 13th, 2011, 4:18 pm
by Gary J.
All it means is that THE LOST PATROL is in the heavy rotation list on TCM this year.
It feels like it has aired once a month since January.

Re: TCM Race and Hollywood: Arab Images on Film

Posted: July 13th, 2011, 4:21 pm
by JackFavell
Does anyone have any idea which group might be a good choice for next year's Race and Hollywood Month?
The Maltese. :D

Re: TCM Race and Hollywood: Arab Images on Film

Posted: July 13th, 2011, 5:02 pm
by Mr. Arkadin
moirafinnie wrote: I think I'd like to read this man's book to read more about his thesis now that I've seen the documentary.
I have his book. Other than a short introduction, you will find it little more than a reference on what he finds wrong (and occasionally right) with 900+ films. There is no real critical analysis, just listings with the offending scenes or remarks noted. There is slightly more info on a landmark film like Lawrence of Arabia (1962), or a film that he does recommend, but on the whole, there is no thesis on the Arab in Hollywood or film in general.

Re: TCM Race and Hollywood: Arab Images on Film

Posted: July 13th, 2011, 9:45 pm
by moira finnie
Gary J. wrote:All it means is that THE LOST PATROL is in the heavy rotation list on TCM this year.
It feels like it has aired once a month since January.
You mean there's a movie that might be shown more often than Notorious (1946)? (Great movie, but even filet mignon loses its appeal if you have it too much)
JackFavell wrote:
Does anyone have any idea which group might be a good choice for next year's Race and Hollywood Month?
The Maltese. :D
Hey, now that you mention it, how about the Race of Character Actors?
Mr. Arkadin wrote:
moirafinnie wrote: I think I'd like to read this man's book to read more about his thesis now that I've seen the documentary.
I have his book. Other than a short introduction, you will find it little more than a reference on what he finds wrong (and occasionally right) with 900+ films. There is no real critical analysis, just listings with the offending scenes or remarks noted. There is slightly more info on a landmark film like Lawrence of Arabia (1962), or a film that he does recommend, but on the whole, there is no thesis on the Arab in Hollywood or film in general.
Thanks, Ark. It doesn't sound as though it would add too much to what I've already gleaned from the guy's choice of movies and his enlightening commentary on the air and in his doc.

Re: TCM Race and Hollywood: Arab Images on Film

Posted: July 13th, 2011, 9:58 pm
by JackFavell
Hey, now that you mention it, how about the Race of Character Actors?
Now that would be great!

Re: TCM Race and Hollywood: Arab Images on Film

Posted: July 26th, 2011, 7:08 pm
by moira finnie
Some interesting POSITIVE Arabic Images are on tonight's agenda with the following films on tap, beginning at 8pm EDT. Any thoughts?

Five Graves to Cairo
The Black Tent
Three Kings
King Richard and the Crusaders
Sahara

Re: TCM Race and Hollywood: Arab Images on Film

Posted: August 1st, 2011, 4:52 pm
by moira finnie
Loved your "doggie" comment and the "hunkalicious" remark! If anyone is interested in seeing it, The Black Tent is streaming online at Netflix. I think it was my favorite "discovery" film all month and you are right that it would have been wonderful if Powell & Pressburger or Lean had a crack at the story. It was good to see poor Donald Sinden getting away from those inevitable comparisons to an aging but still "hunkalious" Clark Gable in Mogambo, (I always figured the wimpiness of Sinden's gorilla specialist was one of John Ford's usual stagey swipes at the English).

Re: TCM Race and Hollywood: Arab Images on Film

Posted: August 1st, 2011, 5:28 pm
by JackFavell
MORE HUNKALICIOUS THAN DOUG MCCLURE!


I can see the marquee now....

is such a thing possible? :D :D :roll: :roll:

My favorite discovery was The Band's Visit, a charming, melancholy movie reminiscent of Bill Forsyth's films.