I Just Watched...

[Bronxgirl48]

DINNER AT EIGHT never gets old! Always have to watch when it's on. I am particularly fond of Billie Burke's "Crabmeat!"

[Masha]

The First Nudie Musical (1976)

From IMDb.com:
"The son of famous studio owner is forced to make porno films to keep the bankrupt studio from being made into a shopping center. In an attempt to get back on the high ground he makes a nudie musical."

Watching this movie fulfills my annual minimum requirement of campy, low-budget, softcore-porn comedies.

Warning: this movie includes nudity! Male and female. Front, back, sideways and it would not surprise me if there was an upside-down shot which I missed.

This movie is truly funny if you come to it with no prejudice against public sex and you can attain a moderate suspension of disbelief. The jokes are broad and silly. Their primary virtue is that I did not foresee many of them. The set-ups for situational humour are smooth.

One of the leads is Cindy Williams just before she began working on some sitcom which increased her popularity. She does not disrobe but she is sufficiently comfortable around nudity that she has perfect aplomb while trading barbs with an actress who just walked out of a scene and it totally nikkid.

7.4/11

This movie is available for viewing for free with commercials on: TubiTV.

[TikiSoo]

Last night I began watching my September recordings. I started with a 66 minute "filler" Panama Lady '39. I only recorded it to see early Lucille Ball and Allan "Rocky" Lane, since I had lost my copy of them together in '39's Twelve Counted Hours


So glad! Maybe it was just my mood but I loved Panama Lady! It was a typical programmer about a dancing girl stuck in Panama who gets tangled up with Lane's shady/dangerous oil drilling operation-a remake of Panama Flo '32.

Lane is victim to pick pockets after boasting about his wealth and drinking so much he passes out. He blames Lucy and tells her she can pay him off by being his "housekeeper". He tells her he's hoping to find oil there and Lucy's retort, "I'm finding plenty of oil here!" is a glimpse of her comic genius to come.

Rocky Lane's voice is far too young to recognise HIS genius career as the voice of Mr Ed, but you can absolutely see (or hear) his talent of expression & delivery. He is equally broad and expressive in his face and body movement, and is a joy to watch.
Lane has similar looks to fellow cowboy but very bland Randolph Scott-why Scott became such a famous beloved actor, I'll never understand.


This movie was no great film-of-the-year but the lead talents elevated a so-so story to very enjoyable.

Hollywood would be better served ramping down trying to make every movie a "blockbuster" and go back to these cute, short double features that were cheaper to make & provided great training ground for talent. It worked far better than television shows, which is pretty much non existent at this point.

[HoldenIsHere]

DINNER AT EIGHT never gets old! Always have to watch when it's on. I am particularly fond of Billie Burke's "Crabmeat!"

I was really hoping DINNER AT EIGHT would be available on Watch TCM after it aired "live" this week, but it wasn't.

It's only Jean Harlow movie from Monday morning that didn't make it to Watch TCM!

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!

[Bronxgirl48]

Don't despair, Holden! It always pops up "live" sooner or later!

Gustav and Otto will still be fighting.

[Detective Jim McLeod]

Autumn Leaves (1956) TCM On Demand-8/10

A lonely middle aged typist (Joan Crawford) falls for and marries a younger man (Cliff Robertson) who turns out to be mentally unstable.

First time viewing for me and I loved this melodrama, one of the best of the decade. Robert Aldrich was the director, he would reunite with Crawford 6 years later for What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?. I thought this would turn into a thriller about a psycho terrorizing a woman but it becomes a serious look at mental illness. It takes a turn when characters played by Vera Miles and Lorne Greene show up for a plot twist I did not see coming. Both Crawford and Robertson are excellent here, their performances rank with some of their best. I'm surprised both did not get Oscar nominations.

I know many won't agree but I find Joan Crawford in the 1950s to be very attractive. The dark eyebrows and slash of a mouth looked sexy to me. This film is a definitely a must for Crawford fans.

[jamesjazzguitar]

Autumn Leaves (1956) TCM On Demand-8/10

A lonely middle aged typist (Joan Crawford) falls for and marries a younger man (Cliff Robertson) who turns out to be mentally unstable.

First time viewing for me and I loved this melodrama, one of the best of the decade. Robert Aldrich was the director, he would reunite with Crawford 6 years later for What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?. I thought this would turn into a thriller about a psycho terrorizing a woman but it becomes a serious look at mental illness. It takes a turn when characters played by Vera Miles and Lorne Greene show up for a plot twist I did not see coming. Both Crawford and Robertson are excellent here, their performances rank with some of their best. I'm surprised both did not get Oscar nominations.

I know many won't agree but I find Joan Crawford in the 1950s to be very attractive. The dark eyebrows and slash of a mouth looked sexy to me. This film is a definitely a must for Crawford fans.

I also enjoy Autumn Leaves. I can't recall another film where Vera Miles looks as beautiful or plays such a sexy role. 1956 would rank as Miles best year since she was in The Searchers, The Wrong Man, 23 Paces to Baker Street and Autumn Leaves.

[Detective Jim McLeod]

I can't recall another film where Vera Miles looks as beautiful or plays such a sexy role. 1956 would rank as Miles best year since she was in The Searchers, The Wrong Man, 23 Paces to Baker Street and Autumn Leaves.

That is true, and it showed her great versatility since all of those roles were totally different.

[Allhallowsday]

THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR (1947)

[Bronxgirl48]

I love those 1940's-1950's California cottages (MILDRED PIERCE, AUTUMN LEAVES) They look so cute and cozy.

I am also very fond of Captain Gregg's seaside abode. THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR figuratively (and literally) never grows old. Beautiful movie that always make me weep. (along with LASSIE COME HOME)

[Allhallowsday]

THE UNINVITED (1944)

[scsu1975]

THE UNINVITED (1944)

One of the great ghost stories of all time, with a beautiful score by Victor Young. The first time I saw the film, I could feel the hair standing up on my head when Mary Meredith put in her appearance.

[Swithin]

Slow Horses (2022)

Slow Horses is based on a series of novels about rejects from MI5, destined to live out their careers in "Slough House," so named because it's so far from the main MI5 headquarters that it might as well be in Slough. The theme song (sung and co-written by Mick Jagger) offers a good summary of the plot:

"Surrounded by losers
Misfits and boozers
Hanging by your fingernails
You made one mistake
You got burnt at the stake
You're finished, You're foolish, you failed.

There's always a hope
On this slippery slope
Somewhere a ghost of a chance
To get back in the game
And burn off your shame
And dance with the big boys again."

I enjoyed the series, though the constant insults and shtick from the rejects' boss (played by Gary Oldman as a big fat slob who farts a lot) become tedious after a while, as do the demeaning ways in which the rejects talk to each other. Jack Lowden, whom I've seen on stage several times, is particulary good as one of the main characters, all of whom are itching to do something useful. They get involved in some serious cases (a kidnapping of a Muslim comedian by a right-wing group who threaten to chop his head off), and, in the second series, a rather complicated mix-up with Russian spies. There is a right-wing politician played by Sam West, and the MI5 "Number Two Desk," played by Kristin Scott Thomas. Although the "slow horses" are, to some extent, blundering idiots, they do help to solve the major cases, although everything needs to be covered up at the end, which is annoying. There are also loose ends and silly plot devices that don't always make sense. Jonathan Pryce is very good in a supporting role. The series has been renewed for more seasons.

Here's Mick singing the theme song:





Christopher Chung is brilliant as a foul-mouthed computer geek



Freddie Fox, Kristin Scott Thomas as the "big boys."

[TikiSoo]

THE UNINVITED (1944)

One of the great ghost stories of all time, with a beautiful score by Victor Young. The first time I saw the film, I could feel the hair standing up on my head when Mary Meredith put in her appearance.

I was so lucky to have seen this on the big screen in a Movie Palace-it's one of my favorites!

And here's someone's "take" on it I always thought was hilarious:
In the book The Definitive Guide to Horror Movies, James Marriott said The Uninvited feels more dated than Universal Studios' gothic horror films and that the visuals "achieve an effective eeriness". Marriott found Milland's character a "boorishly rational man" and critiqued the plot because the villains are women who are not in relationships with men or who refuse to bear children.

[HoldenIsHere]

Autumn Leaves (1956) TCM On Demand-8/10

A lonely middle aged typist (Joan Crawford) falls for and marries a younger man (Cliff Robertson) who turns out to be mentally unstable.

First time viewing for me and I loved this melodrama, one of the best of the decade. Robert Aldrich was the director, he would reunite with Crawford 6 years later for What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?. I thought this would turn into a thriller about a psycho terrorizing a woman but it becomes a serious look at mental illness. It takes a turn when characters played by Vera Miles and Lorne Greene show up for a plot twist I did not see coming. Both Crawford and Robertson are excellent here, their performances rank with some of their best. I'm surprised both did not get Oscar nominations.

I know many won't agree but I find Joan Crawford in the 1950s to be very attractive. The dark eyebrows and slash of a mouth looked sexy to me. This film is a definitely a must for Crawford fans.

The middle period of Joan Crawford's career is my favorite of hers and one of my favorite periods for any actor.
MILDRED PIERCE, POSSESSED (1947), FLAMINGO ROAD, THE DAMNED DON'T CRY, SUDDEN FEAR and, yes, JOHNNY GUITAR are all highly entertaining movies that hold up to repeat viewings.
No "movie star" could convey as much with a look as Joan Crawford.

I've wanted to see AUTUMN LEAVES for awhile but it fell off my radar.
I see that it is on Watch TCM until October 25!

I love when a movie goes in a way that you don't expect.
Thanks for your post!