Vittorio Gassman

[Robert Regan]

Glad you liked our friend Brian's work, ccf, (or may I say Alison?). The Glass Wall is a movie I have wanted to see again for more years than I would say. Some images stayed in my mind for a long time. Yes, there is more than a little nostalgia in seeing those screen grabs and, no doubt, the film itself. I lived in NYC for about twenty years, and I think it was a more livable place back then. I feel like a stranger there now, even on streets that I knew like the back of my hand. Almost all the movie theatres I frequented are gone or turned into multiplexes, and all but one of the revival houses have disappeared. That stretch of 42nd St. that Brian talks about was a treasure trove for movie fans, all double features and all cheap, mostly second or third run shows, but there was one that always played foreign films, one always showed westerns, and it was not uncommon to find a pair of Errol Flynn or James Cagney playing. I sure hope that heaven turns out to be New York City in the sixties!

[CineMaven]

...Also interesting was the discussion of The Glass Wall which, by a coincidence, is the topic of a recent post on the blog of Brian Camp, a college buddy of CineMaven and me. Brian, besides being a knowledgeable cinephile, is devoted to the history and geography of his hometown New York City, and his article focusses on the location shooting, particularly around Times Square. Some of this might be a bit too much for folks from out of town, but it is filled with many fascinating screen grabs and is worth a look...

Bob

Hi there Robert. Welcome to the Oasis. Hope you're making your way through all of the threads, forums and topics the Oasis has to offer, and as I see, making your cogent and knowledgeable contributions. I'm not really crazy about "The Glass Wall." It felt kind of preachy to me. But I'm glad you've cited Brian's article. I checked it out and saw the wealth of NYC sites in the background of this film. Attention to detail. Ha! Leave it to our boy...

[Robert Regan]

Yes, Theresa, there are things that Brian does right!

By the way, you and the rest of the gang can call me Bob.

Just saw Bunny Lake again. The roles that Lynley and Dullea were born for!

[charliechaplinfan]

Bob, you're welcome to call me Alison, I'd love to have seen New York City in the 50s and 60s being a child of the 70s I seem to like styles and times that have gone before much more than my own. New York City looks beautiful, having lived in a small town all my life I couldn't imagine what it would be like to live with in a place with all those cinemas and shows. I wonder if they realised at the time that people would look back on the film with such fond nostalgia. I too would be happy if heaven was like New York in the sixties.

Feel free to bring Brian along to contribute too but if he doesn't have the time please tell him we've enjoyed his thread.

[Robert Regan]

Alison, do leave a comment on Brian's site, telling him how much you liked his article. It would mean a lot, especially from one not from New York.

[charliechaplinfan]

I will do I've posted a comment, it's waiting for moderation.

[charliechaplinfan]

I watched Anima Persa, I watched Profumo Di Donna recently too, I don'tthink he was capable of a dull performance.

I was reading the trivia on him on the imdb. His voice had so much inflection in it that it was said that he could make anything sound interesting. An Italian TV show put a 2 minute segment intheir programme just for him where he would read the phone book, blood test reults etc it proved very popular.

[CineMaven]

Just happy to see a new entry over in the GIALLO section. I'll have to give "Anima Persa" another chance. I got confused along the way. As violent as these films are and as twisted as the sexuality is portrayed, the stories ( I know, not for everybody) are excellently constructed and wonderfully executed. AND the films' climaxes, so far, I NEVER see coming. Viva Vittorio. Viva Giallo!!

[charliechaplinfan]

It's my first Giallo, this girl needs educating, in terms of what to watch and also in terms of understanding the plot line to Anima Persa

[CineMaven]

Well then Mr. Arkadin is your man. He knows Giallo like...you know ironing.

I find them fascinating. Especially seeing several of them in one fell swoop at a Giallo film festival last year.

[charliechaplinfan]

I don't know ironing that well, I'm hoping to be educated

I know one film doesn't open up a whole new genre but what I really liked about Anima Persa was that it was just fun, take it at face value, don't try to overguess, even if you recognise the actor, go with along with it.

[CineMaven]

When I came back from errands...I was able to catch the last half-hour of "BITTER RICE." Vittorio Badman Gassman. He was a berry berry bad man in this. He had a John Garfield '...Postman Always Rings Twice' look about him. Seems like he was stringing two girls along with the ultimate goal being to steal the rice crops. He was devastatingly handsome, the movie ( though I came in on it late ) seemed to show a bond among the women out there harvesting the rice. Neo-realism at its best. Raf Vallone ( mmmmm.... ) is in it too. The two girls he had to choose from - American Doris Dowling (( :!: )) I had to look it up in IMDB. She looked familiar. AND before Sophia Loren "burst" on the scene...there was the Super-Natural Silvana Mangano. Has anyone ever seen this? I've got to catch it from the beginning.

[charliechaplinfan]

It's a great movie Theresa, it capitulated all these actors to fame. He's is a very bad boy in this one. Ah, you've got to catch him from the beginning, he's unrelentingly bad. And Raf Vallone, I had to look him up on the imdb, I was impressed.

[CineMaven]

Oh Raf. Raf was in something... "A View From the Bridge" but I truly remember him playing the Aristotle Onassis-type tycoon in "The Other Side of Midnight." I was surprised to see the American actress in it ( Doris Dowling ) - seems she went to Europe to stretch out her film career. She has eyes like cat.

But it's alllllllll Vittorio. Whew!

[charliechaplinfan]

He's quite gaunt looking in Bitter Rice, he makes a hungry looking villan. There's a brilliant scene in the begining with Silvana, a record and Vittorio. I want to watch it again I loved this movie. I agree about Doris Dowling, she does have eyes like a cat, she's very striking looking although Silvana's assets tended to steal the screen.