Ruthless (1948)

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JackFavell
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Re: Ruthless (1948)

Post by JackFavell »

That is one of the two I've seen, kingrat, and despite the silliness of George as a lumberjack, I really like this movie. Gene Lockhart gives one of the slimiest performances of his life.
RedRiver
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Re: Ruthless (1948)

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If there's anybody LESS like a lumberjack than the Monty Python gang, it's George Sanders! "Transparent Man" sounds like a blast! There's a Lon Chaney, Jr film I like called THE INDESTRUCTIBLE MAN. It's not as bad as it sounds. I picked it up at a truck stop!
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moira finnie
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Re: Ruthless (1948)

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George is not only a lumberjack, but he's actually a good guy, bordering on a heroic character, which was quite different for Mr. Sanders. I love Gene Lockhart's slimeball in The Strange Woman...never have I seen his impish face look more licentious.

The print that TCM ran of The Strange Woman within the last year was pretty good, kingrat.
RedRiver wrote:If there's anybody LESS like a lumberjack than the Monty Python gang, it's George Sanders! "Transparent Man" sounds like a blast! There's a Lon Chaney, Jr film I like called THE INDESTRUCTIBLE MAN. It's not as bad as it sounds. I picked it up at a truck stop!
I love Lon Chaney, Jr. No one suffered as well as he did on screen (or off, apparently). I'll have to look for The Indestructible Man next time I'm in a truck stop. :wink:
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ChiO
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Re: Ruthless (1948)

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Every film mentioned thus far is worth viewing. I would also add and highly recommend: BLUEBEARD (1944), THE MAN FROM PLANET X (1951) and MURDER IS MY BEAT (1955). One I loved upon its release (the only Ulmer movie I saw the first time around), but haven't seen since -- and would really like to -- is HANNIBAL (1960)
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
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Dewey1960
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Re: Ruthless (1948)

Post by Dewey1960 »

Ulmer's a personal favorite director of mine and DETOUR, I believe, is his ultimate masterpiece. Not far behind
is the eerie and disturbing BLUEBEARD. Here's a link to a thread about it that was started a few years back.
http://silverscreenoasis.com/oasis3/vie ... =18&t=2120
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Re: Ruthless (1948)

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Chio,

HANNIBAL is an Ulmer film? Victor Mature and the elephants? I didn't know that. I'm in exactly the same boat. I saw it at the age of six. Not since.
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moira finnie
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Re: Ruthless (1948)

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RedRiver wrote:Chio,

HANNIBAL is an Ulmer film? Victor Mature and the elephants? I didn't know that. I'm in exactly the same boat. I saw it at the age of six. Not since.
omg! I saw that movie. I didn't know it was an Ulmer. My sentiments were all with Hannibal and his elephants.
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ChiO
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Re: Ruthless (1948)

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I know, I know. I was astounded with how those elephants got into the Alps. Now I'm astounded with how that telephone cord got around Ann Savage's neck.

Six of one...half dozen of the other.

Which is a tribute to the genius of UImer.
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
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JackFavell
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Re: Ruthless (1948)

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I just watched Detour for the first time....

WOW.

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ChiO
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Re: Ruthless (1948)

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May we assume that "WOW" is a positive review?

So...did he do it?
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
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JackFavell
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Re: Ruthless (1948)

Post by JackFavell »

You know on first viewing, I totally believe him... it's only after writing about it at the other site last night that I realized that the film could be taken as a delusion of innocence, a series of excuses. I like that spiral nature of the film. But I'll have to watch again to see if I really believe so much in his innocence this time. :D

It's a shame Tom Neal destroyed himself, he was so good here.
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Re: Ruthless (1948)

Post by RedRiver »

Hmm...I'm going to have to go back to "Reading Between the Lines" school. I TOTALLY believe he did it!
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