Lil' Bitty Tear Let Me Down.....

[Mr. Arkadin]

Day of the Outlaw (1959) is my favorite B-western and Ives is wonderful in it. Also including Robert Ryan and Tina Louise, this "Noir Western" evokes comparisons to Key Largo (1947) and On Dangerous Ground (1952).

TCM hasn't shown it in at least four years. You can find DVD prints of it here and there, but the quality is awful. I wish they would release it or at least play it on TCM again. It's a great film that deserves to be seen.

[ken123]

Burl Ives was a " massive presence " , in more ways than one. He was at his best IMHO in " The Big Country ", and " Cat on a Hot Tin Roof "

[jdb1]

Burl Ives was a " massive presence " , in more ways than one. He was at his best IMHO in " The Big Country ", and " Cat on a Hot Tin Roof "

Ives was a fine actor, and he was one of the icons of the 1950s childhood of many of us; I and just about every other child I knew had his recording of folk and children's songs - the album was usually titled "The Little White Duck," but I've seen it with other titles as well.

However . . . . Ives was the HUAC hearing witness who sicced the government on folk singer/activist Pete Seeger, a man who only wanted everyone to get along, and who has been fearless all his long life in pursuit of that goal. Learning that fact changed my perception of Ives, and not for the better.

[Moraldo Rubini]

I think I first became aware of Burl Ives when he was featured in Walt Disney's Summer Magic. His character, Osh Popham, was a generous rascal, who was always up to something; much to the disappoval of his pragmatic wife, played by Una Merkel. (Decades later, I would connect that this is the same woman who tickled me in so many 1930's musical-comedies.) This turn-of-the-[last]-century family movie was based on Kate Douglas Wiggin's 1911 book Mother Carey's Chickens, and the screenplay was written by Sally Benson (the gal whose stories were the basis of Meet Me in St. Louis).

In Summer Magic, Ives sang the insect Cinderella tale, The Ugly Bug Ball, which became such a children's hit that it was also played on The Captain Kangaroo Show. Now that was a litmus test of success for a 6-year old in 1963! And it gave Disney the excuse to insert some of his "True Life Adventures" footage. Ives also led the cast (which included Dorothy McGuire, Haley Mills, Deborah Walley, Eddie Hodges, Michael J. Pollard and Peter Brown) in the ode to small-town living, On the Front Porch. This was one of the first soundtrack recordings I ever owned (I still have it), and can still sing along with the Sherman brothers' song:

All I wanna do,
When the day is through,
Is linger here on the front porch with you.
From the wicker swing,
While the night birds sing,
We'll watch the firefly sparking; do some sparkin' too.
How the hours fly,
As the moon drifts by,
How sweet the air, as we stare at the sky.
Oh how I love to linger here like this,
Hold your hand, and steal a kiss or two,
On the Front Porch with you.

The lazy tempo evoked a balmy summer night -- before air conditioning. The romantic notions are so simple and tender, it brings a lump to my throat today. (Jeez, I'm a sap.) This movie was released in July of 1963, and it was very comforting; it reflected not only the life I was leading at the time (Jimmy Mathers' character was about my age at the time), but also what I expected life would be as an adult. A few months later, our president would be assassinated in Dallas, and nothing was the same again.

Gee, I wish the soundtrack would be released on cd.

Burl Ives in Summer Magic

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Great post that reflects many of my own feelings. I wish it were on CD, too.

[pktrekgirl]

Burl Ives was a " massive presence " , in more ways than one. He was at his best IMHO in " The Big Country ", and " Cat on a Hot Tin Roof "

Ives was a fine actor, and he was one of the icons of the 1950s childhood of many of us; I and just about every other child I knew had his recording of folk and children's songs - the album was usually titled "The Little White Duck," but I've seen it with other titles as well.

However . . . . Ives was the HUAC hearing witness who sicced the government on folk singer/activist Pete Seeger, a man who only wanted everyone to get along, and who has been fearless all his long life in pursuit of that goal. Learning that fact changed my perception of Ives, and not for the better.

This is too bad. Each time I hear about an actor who named names, their stock plummets with me.

I REALLY have a difficult time with those who named names.

That said, my biggest memory of Burl Ives is not in any 'adult' film. All I remember him as is the voice of the narrator in "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".

[ken123]

Pete Seeger is a folk singer and longtime leftwing political activitist. " The Weavers " is the group that he is mainly associated with, outside of his own solo performances. Burl Ives had a falling out with The Weavers over political matters, the group was very liberal and were accused of being Pro - Soviet I believe that Ives was once a member of thethis folk singing group. To work in showbiz during this time leftist leanings was verboten, in order to work Ives, just like Elia Kazan, gave the Committee ( HUAC ) names. The backlist saved American from Communism.

[jdb1]

However . . . . Ives was the HUAC hearing witness who sicced the government on folk singer/activist Pete Seeger, a man who only wanted everyone to get along, and who has been fearless all his long life in pursuit of that goal. Learning that fact changed my perception of Ives, and not for the better.

I am unaware of any of this. Perhaps you could enlighten me as to who you are talking about. For I am not aware of any Pete Seager and what he wanted or why?

Thanks.

Really? You've never heard of Pete Seeger? That's too bad.

Here's link to the Wiki bio (not sure the link process will work)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_seeger

Seeger is a proponent of left-wing thought, and whatever you may think of that philosophy, he has always been a tireless worker for peace and human rights, environmental soundness, and great music-making.

He comes from a prominent muscial family - his father was a music historian who was instrumental in recording and preserving American folk music - his mother was a composer (maybe she's his stepmother - not sure). In the late 40s and early 50s he was a member of the premiere American folk group, The Weavers (before such things were fashionable). All of the members of The Weavers were blacklisted.

Pete arranged the South African folk song we know as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," recorded by The Weavers, and wrote "Turn, Turn, Turn," an iconic song of the 60s. The Weavers biggest hit was "Goodnight, Irene." Pete was a "disciple" of Woody Guthrie, and a mentor for Woody's son, Arlo. He was an early supporter of Bob Dylan. He seemed to be at every anti-war protest I ever attended in the 60s, and he lent his name and energy to all sorts of activities that promoted human welfare and dignity.

He is still living - in Duchess County, NY, where he lends his name to the activities of the sloop Clearwater. Benefit concerts given on the Clearwater over the last 35 years or so are credited with spearheading the movement to clean up the Hudson River. Despite what you may think of Pete's early politics, there's no question he has lived his altruistic convictions long after most of the flower children of the 60s have lost interest. Especially in these times, we could use another dozen or so Pete Seegers.

[ken123]

Woody Guthrie had a column in the old " Daily Worker " called " Woody Sez's ". The Worker being the Communist Party (USA) official organ.

Pete Seeger caused problems for The Smothers Brothers. While appearring on their CBS TV Program, in the middle sixties, Seeger sang an anti - Vietnam War song ( " Deep Muddy " ?, which caused all kinds of protests. Most so - called folk singers of today are right of center politically, or at least that's the way I see it.

[MissGoddess]

I love Burl Ives in The Big Country and I'll say flat out I think he's just a little bit sexy as "Big Daddy" in CoaHTR. Would that more men felt like choking a girl with furs and diamonds! *lol* I think it's a pity there weren't more roles like that for him, and I think it may be he came along too late---had he been in his maturity in the thirties and forties, he might have gotten more work. But at least he is still fondly remembered for his music (which I didn't know a thing about until long after I saw his aforementioned films).

[Erebus]

Whenever I think of Burl Ives I always go back to "The Spiral Road" (1962), with his PG or Pure Gin. I think I was traumatized by this movie as a seven year old. Those scenes of Rock Hudson being subjected to voodoo torture in the jungle are etched in my mind.

This movie is listed in the TCM database. Does anybody know how to access TCM’s broadcast history for a given movie? I’m curious as to when this film has been shown. I even went so far as to suggest it, my first ever TCM suggestion of that nature.