I Just Watched...

[KayFrancis]

I'm not a snowflake, obviously since I love Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm ! lol

[Hibi]

I will put in a good word for Arty Tragg. I never got the impression that he loathed
Perry and Paul. Naturally they were on opposite sides, but for the most part Tragg
kept his cool. In some episodes he would come to Perry's office at the end and pass
along something that had made Burger mad and all of them would have a good laugh
at that. He was basically going behind Burger's back and telling tales out of school.
One of Tragg's funniest scenes was when he came to Perry's office at the end of a trial
that involved beatniks and he was leaving he said something like Don't crowd me granny
(referring to Della). I'm one of the hip ones. Dig? See you later, daddy-o. And Tragg was
much more interesting than the vanilla on white bread duo of Anderson and Drumm.

LMREO!!!!!!! I must've missed that one!

[Hibi]

I think that describes a certain public figure pretty well, Bronxie!

[TikiSoo]

I don't want to side track the conversation, just wanted to add that from the first viewing of the horrible Sheba cat food commercial , I've been disgusted that that ad is allowed. I'm annoyed every time I see it. The Lume commercial is also disgusting but not dangerous the way the Sheba commercial is. As a mother and Grandmother I am offended and horrified that anyone would think that ignoring a hurt child is funny. Both commercials need to be banned.

I hadn’t seen the cat food ad but get the gist of it from doing a search. Amazing.

As for Lume, that has been around a while, enough to spark a major deodorant company to develop/produce/market an “all body” product in less than a year. We have been shaming body odor to the point of people poisoning themselves in attempt to cover “unpleasant" odor. I do believe the Talc Powder lawsuit was won by the Public.

I don’t use perfumed products and I can smell people when they walk by OUTSIDE from so many strong artificial fragrances. Tide is the absolute worst.
If you keep yourself clean, you don’t need additional fragrances.

That said, I will spritz Chanel on occasion and that hippie staple Patchouli when hiking as an insect repellant.

[jamesjazzguitar]

I just Watched a thread go downhill.

[KayFrancis]

There are some posts in this thread about those commercials, since when is not not ok to respond? If you want to discuss something else, no one is stopping you.

[jimimac71]

Out here in CA. is a "Scratcher" ad with a cat and a laser pointer.
The cat chases the laser, scratching the lottery ticket taped to the wall.
This forum is anything but boring. It isn't just about TCM or movies. I love the flexibility and freedom here.

[kingrat]

To discuss something more interesting: Last night I watched the first half of The Iceman Cometh. This is from the American Film Theater project that filmed eight plays with various stars in them. Whatever complaints I could make about the play--such as that the Brit and the Boer are too Boer-ing--are unimportant next to the clash of Robert Ryan as the disillusioned ex-anarchist Larry Slade and Lee Marvin as the salesman Hickey whose visits to the saloon are what the other inmate of the saloon live for.

Some people lamented that the movie star Lee Marvin was cast rather than Jason Robards, Jr., who had played the role on Broadway, but I emphatically disagree. Marvin's charisma, his utter alpha maleness, his ability to walk in a room and own it, are what Hickey must have. The director, John Frankenheimer, also considered Marlon Brando (who would probably have been awful) and Gene Hackman, who would have been good, but Lee Marvin was his top choice.

Hickey knows that Larry Slade will be his toughest antagonist. The moments of Slade trying to figure out what Hickey is up to, while Hickey begins the process of testing Slade's vulnerabilities are really wonderful. Every shot of Robert Ryan seems to show a lifetime of experience. He would die not long after filming.

[jimimac71]

Not that TV ads are interesting but the above item doesn't sound interesting to me either.

[jamesjazzguitar]

To discuss something more interesting: Last night I watched the first half of The Iceman Cometh. This is from the American Film Theater project that filmed eight plays with various stars in them. Whatever complaints I could make about the play--such as that the Brit and the Boer are too Boer-ing--are unimportant next to the clash of Robert Ryan as the disillusioned ex-anarchist Larry Slade and Lee Marvin as the salesman Hickey whose visits to the saloon are what the other inmate of the saloon live for.

Some people lamented that the movie star Lee Marvin was cast rather than Jason Robards, Jr., who had played the role on Broadway, but I emphatically disagree. Marvin's charisma, his utter alpha maleness, his ability to walk in a room and own it, are what Hickey must have. The director, John Frankenheimer, also considered Marlon Brando (who would probably have been awful) and Gene Hackman, who would have been good, but Lee Marvin was his top choice.

Hickey knows that Larry Slade will be his toughest antagonist. The moments of Slade trying to figure out what Hickey is up to, while Hickey begins the process of testing Slade's vulnerabilities are really wonderful. Every shot of Robert Ryan seems to show a lifetime of experience. He would die not long after filming.

Lee Marvin's screen persona was perfect for the role of Hickley. See the vet Ryan and the at his peak Marvin doing their dance is something special.

While I assume we both are not saying Robards wasn't up to the tasks, I can't think of another actor, with as much box office appeal being a better fit than Marvin. (and box office appeal was necessary to get people to go to the theater to see a movie that was over 3 hours long).

[jamesjazzguitar]

Does anyone recall Ben's closing comments after Guys and Dolls. I saw the intro but only watched the first half of the film.

In Ben's intro he appeared to imply Sinatra was fine with Brando getting the role and top billing in this musical even with his limited musical talent, but he would explain more about that after the film. Of course, maybe Ben was just joking since what I found on Wiki indicates Frank wasn't happy about Brando getting the part:

"Frank Sinatra had coveted the role of Sky Masterson and his relations with Brando were strained. Hollywood critic James Bacon quotes Sinatra telling director Joe Mankiewicz, "When Mumbles is through rehearsing, I'll come out." Sinatra had been considered for the role of Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront; both roles went to Brando".

As for the film: Decades ago, when I first found out about this film, I really wondered about the casting of Brando and Simmons since both where not known for their roles in musicals. Simmons is great, but I still find Brando to only be OK. (and since Gene Kelly was the first choice for the movie, this is a case where an actor was chosen mostly due to their box-office potential). I know that Robert Alda had the role in the Broadway play, but I can see why a studio wouldn't make him the lead of such a production, but Kelly still had major musical box office appeal.

[Andree]

LMREO!!!!!!! I must've missed that one!

I always get a kick out of it, no matter how many times I've seen it.
It's at the very end just before the credits. I likely forgot a few
words of Tragg's whole beatnik speech. IIRC, Bobby Troup played
the beatnik pianist and Frankie Laine was the comic. Beatniks rarely
came off very well in PM.

[Andree]

Guys and Dolls makes the original West Side Story look like a
neo-realist movie.

[CinemaInternational]

Does anyone recall Ben's closing comments after Guys and Dolls. I saw the intro but only watched the first half of the film.

In Ben's intro he appeared to imply Sinatra was fine with Brando getting the role and top billing in this musical even with his limited musical talent, but he would explain more about that after the film. Of course, maybe Ben was just joking since what I found on Wiki indicates Frank wasn't happy about Brando getting the part:

"Frank Sinatra had coveted the role of Sky Masterson and his relations with Brando were strained. Hollywood critic James Bacon quotes Sinatra telling director Joe Mankiewicz, "When Mumbles is through rehearsing, I'll come out." Sinatra had been considered for the role of Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront; both roles went to Brando".

As for the film: Decades ago, when I first found out about this film, I really wondered about the casting of Brando and Simmons since both where not known for their roles in musicals. Simmons is great, but I still find Brando to only be OK. (and since Gene Kelly was the first choice for the movie, this is a case where an actor was chosen mostly due to their box-office potential). I know that Robert Alda had the role in the Broadway play, but I can see why a studio wouldn't make him the lead of such a production, but Kelly still had major musical box office appeal.

Checked it on watch TCM for you. Ben said that Sinatra reluctantly took the supporting part in Guys and Dolls, but it lead to the simmering tension between him and Brando, coming from Sinatra's getting sacked from On the Waterfront, to spill over, due to Brando's method acting technique, his desire to do multiple takes, and his lack of singing prowess. Though the set was tense, Sinatra didn't publicly air his feelings until 4 years after the film was released.

[KayFrancis]

Years ago when Guys and Dolls aired on TCM, one of the hosts ( it may have been RO ) in an intro or outro talked about how Brando knowing that Sinatra hated cheesecake, purposely flubbed his line over and over so that Frank had to keep eating the cheesecake until he gagged.
Sinatra may not have liked Brando much, but the feeling was mutual.