WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[JackFavell]

The three that catch my eye before really reading the whole list through are:

The Mayor of Hell - A gutsy (even for the time period), at times charming and yet frightening film with Cagney giving a stirring performance, but Frankie Darro is just amazing, as are the rest of the boys. I think this is one of the best pre-codes I've seen.

She Married Her Boss - It isn't a bit like the other LaCava films we all know. I found it very enjoyable anyway, but it seems to be far more of a drama than I originally thought. Colbert is smashing. I'm a big fan of Jean Dixon as well. Such great delivery. I think she and Ruth Donnelly are the unsung heroines of the thirties.

And So They Were Married - I never knew the name of this movie before so thanks, Fer! I find this the most enjoyable of Mary Astor's mom roles, the movie is clever without going too far over the top, and I like that the kids are kinda bratty. Astor and Douglas really hit it off here and their rapport is a lot of fun to peek in on.

[Rita Hayworth]

Executive Suite - 1954 Drama

Cast of Executive Suite
William Holden as McDonald Walling
June Allyson as Mary Blemond Walling
Barbara Stanwyck as Julia O. Tredway
Fredric March as Loren Phineas Shaw
Walter Pidgeon as Frederick Alderson
Shelley Winters as Eva Bardeman
Paul Douglas as Josiah Walter Dudley
Louis Calhern as George Nyle Caswell
Nina Foch as Erica Martin
and hosts of others including
Dean Jagger as Jesse Q Quinn.

This movie is all about high drama over the sudden death of Avery Bullard, President of the Tredway Corporation who tried to call an Executive Meeting with all major players in his corporation and one by one - each in it's individual way learned the hard way of running a corporation that ran by the pride of Mr. Bullard. To me, I enjoyed watching this movie this morning and I was moved by the fast pace of this movie that literally took a life of its own. I was very impressed by acting of Nina Foch who I felt was the "glue" of this high melodrama and through investigation in the internet - I learned that she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1954. She deserved it. I really like her style in this movie.

This movie has great moments; but at the end McDonald Walling, played by William Holden did a spectacular job of acting that took me by surprise and all the board members were moved by his passion to make Tredway Corporation a leading maker of fine furniture. I find the closing moments of this movie - a high note of corporate intrigue and its was a darn good one. This is the first time I seen this movie and I really enjoyed seeing so many great stars in this movie that I love so much.

What interesting about this movie - that this movie has no music! I find it very odd indeed!

But, anyway I highly recommend this movie and this movie is directed by Robert Wise; and this movie has excellent use of camera play especially at the beginning of the movie that I find it quite fascinating to watch seeing the mysterious Mr. Bullard trying to run his corporation.

I enjoyed Executive Suite.

[RedRiver]

Gilbert Roland? Some things just aren't seen by members of the same sex. I understand the appeal of Tyrone Power, Robert Redford, even young John Wayne. Gilbert Roland? I wouldn't let him near my sister! Even if she weren't already married to an idiot.

I've thought of reading Lloyd C. Douglas. It's not what I usually read. I'm not a religious person. But I appreciate conviction. We may not believe the same thing. But if you believe it fully and sincerely, I like that. My mother liked Douglas. I may just pick one up in her honor.

THE BIG COUNTRY has its share of detractors. I find it immensely entertaining. It's a story. It's not revelatory filmmaking; not Shakespearean drama. It's people and conflict. They all want different things. I like it.

[charliechaplinfan]

Oh, no, Alison! I was talking to Barbara... I still can't believe she turned down Gilbert, and it's been two years since I watched The Furies.

Well that's OK then, I thought I couldn't have expressed a preference for Wendell Corey.

RedRiver, you crack me up, I don't think I'd trust him with my sister either, if I had one but I coludn't give two hoots about my honour

Cinemaven, I'm in England, I've been around here so long, I assume everyone knows.

[feaito]

Thanks Theresa....it'd been almost two months and sth. without posting at SSO what I've seen, so there was accumulated work!

[feaito]

Wendy & RedRiver thanks for your feedback! Your comments are very interesting.

Kingme, it's kind of uncanny that you watched "Executive Suite" (1954) because I picked it the other day to watch it ASAP and it's near my TV set

[Rita Hayworth]

Wendy & RedRiver thanks for your feedback! Your comments are very interesting.

Kingme, it's kind of uncanny that you watched "Executive Suite" (1954) because I picked it the other day to watch it ASAP and it's near my TV set

feaito ... please share your thoughts about Executive Suite ... I'm looking forward hearing it.

[MikeBSG]

Yesterday, I watched "Eyes Wide Shut."

I didn't like the movie. I laughed a lot.

Frankly, I thought that Martin Scorsese's "After Hours" was a lot better a look at a nightmare evening in New York.

The masked orgy scene reminded me of Corman's "Masque of the Red Death" and the pool table confrontation between Tom Cruise and Sydney Pollack reminded me of a scene in 1964's "The Skull" between Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Was this film Kubrick's way of saying he wished he had worked for AIP or Amicus back then?

A real headshaker of a movie. What was Kubrick thinking?

[RedRiver]

That movie sounds so bad I've never even wanted to see it. Naturally, I can't comment on something I'm not familiar with. But if they wanted to sell tickets, they failed with me!

[RedRiver]

I'm sure there are other threads for this, but how were the "Carry On" films last night? I had some stuff going on and didn't get to watch. I believe I've heard good things. The silly British comedies usually go down pretty smoothly.

I was confusing them with the "Doctor" series Dirk Bogarde was in. I'm really not familiar with "Carry On."

[movieman1957]

Red River:

There is another thread up in the TCM forum.

MikeBSG:

I sat through most of "Eyes Wide Shut" once - and that was enough for me. One of my brothers is a big Kubrick fan and he loved it. I was shaking my head more than laughing. Luckily, I saw it on cable rather than the theater. I did not enjoy it. I certainly didn't "get it."

[feaito]

Yesterday I revisited "Enchantment" (1948) a magic film with a luminous performance by Teresa Wright as Lark (the orphaned little girl brought up by and Upper Class family). David Niven is Rollo, the brother with whom she falls in love and Jayne Meadows is outstanding as Selina, the jealous, embittered sister who hates Lark. This part of the film is set in the XIXth Century. Farley Granger and Evelyn Keyes play the characters of the contemporary setting of the film (WWII). I liked this film more the first time I saw it, but nevertheless I enjoyed it.

[charliechaplinfan]

I watched The World The Flesh and The Devil starring Harry Belafonte, Inger Stevens and Mel Ferrer. It's an end of the world film, quite sanitised, miraculosly the bodies have all disappeared but everything else remains in tact. Despite being able to pick big holes in the script, take at face value it's very entertaining with three very good performances, although two men arguing over who should have the girl, like she's some biological specimen is a bit rich, it didn't lose it's pace. The location shots of New York were wonderful.

Then I watched Cornered, which I presume has had some restoration, as my movie book said it only lasted for 62 minutes but thankfully lasted for 90 minutes with no slack in the script. I like Dick Powell far more when he plays mean, I don't think he's the best actor to grace the screen but I always think he tries very hard. Walter Slezak was very oily as the baddie. Enjoyable.

[JackFavell]

I really enjoy watching Powell go off the deep end in Cornered...it's such a shock. I thought the movie was pretty good. Not as good as Murder My Sweet, but it'll do.

[RedRiver]

I watched the 1998 PSYCHO. I understand the story was filmed before; some funny looking British director, I believe. Disregarding that fact, the new take is quite effective. Very well cast. Suspenseful. Obviously well written, as the script is exactly the same as the original. Oddly, it's the key scenes that don't measure up. The shower scene is blunt and bloody. Not creepy and disturbing. The discovery of Norman/Mother, the wig falling off, lacks the artful ghostliness of the 1960 film. But I won't pick it apart. The movie works.

I said the film is well cast. There's one exception. Vince Vaughan as Norman? Goofy, large-headed, pointless Vince Vaughan. Was Larry Storch not available? Vince has no soul. No feel for the character. It's as if he's ripping it off for SNL.

What's curious is Gus Van Sant's apparent efforts to obscure the time period. Is this the 60's? The 90's? Cars are more or less modern. But there's a VW Bug tooling around. Clothes are ambiguous. Poor Arbogast, who must shop at Goodwill, is dressed for THE BOB NEWHART SHOW. The first one. And not a computer anywhere? But Little Sister loves her Walkman! And the used car Marian trades for costs $4,000. In 1960, she could have gotten three cars for that!

Since the day this film came out, the question has been,WHY? A scene for scene remake of a beloved classic that can never, ever be bested. That question, I can't address. But standing alone, this visit to the most famous motel in movies is a satisfying one. I enjoyed my stay!