The Silver Screen Oasis

I really like both versions, haven't seen the kim novak one.

Paul Henreid is a more nuanced Philip, and I think Eleanor Parker is extremely good. Lately I've begun to think of her more as an actress. It's easy to look at her and think 'starlet' because of her gorgeous face. Over time now, I realize she had some real acting chops, which she obviously shows in Caged. I wouldn't be surprised if her history showed that she studied to become better at her craft. I'm not sure the studio knew she could act, though, lol. She ends up in nothing white bread roles, because of her stunningly elegant looks. She was absolutely mesmerizing in The Woman in White the other day, I couldn't take my eyes off of her, and she was working with Alexis Smith again, and going up against scene stealers like Sydney Greenstreet.

I like the Sally scenario, myself, it injects a lightness into the movie that helps things feel more balanced.

my partner’s niece, who’s a freshman in high school

Ah, yes. My nephew says the three best movies ever made are STAR WARS, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI. Duh!

Good Heavens! Was there a FOURTH filming of Maugham's depressing novel? I like the Davis/Howard vehicle. Don't know the 1964. I saw half of one on TCM once. I don't really remember Henreid as Phillip. This thing had no stars familiar to me. Maybe I just didn't recognize Paul! Whatever it was, I liked it. It had more depth than Cromwell's version, a more literary feel. In the long run, I prefer the faster pace and (slightly) lighter tone of the earlier film, but they're both good. Now if I can just figure out what on earth this was!

I remember the Leslie Howard version was very much set in the 1930s in terms of fashion although the novel is at the turn of the century. Philip is very hard to sympathise with, he chops and changes so many times that I fully sympathise with his uncle for losing patience with him but it's meant to be semi autobiographical and does have more of a ring of truth about it that most literary characters. Are any of the other versions set in the 1900s?

I watched Background to Danger today, George Raft, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and the beautiful Brenda Marshall in twisting plot set in Turkey in the middle of the war, Nazis abound, as do secret service agents, it's a lot of fun.

charliechaplinfan wrote: I watched Background to Danger today, George Raft, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and the beautiful Brenda Marshall in twisting plot set in Turkey in the middle of the war, Nazis abound, as do secret service agents, it's a lot of fun.

I love that movie Allison it is one of my sentimental favorite movies to watch ... I like Greenstreet and Lorre's performance in this exciting movie.

BACKGROUND TO DANGER. With that title and that cast, I almost want to bet it's based on an Eric Ambler story!

DOUBLE CROSS, a fast paced little thriller made in 1941 by PRC and starring Kane Richmond,Wynne Gibson,John Miljan and Pauline Moore.
Miljan is always a smooth baddie but I didn't know Wynne Gibson who was good as Miljan's girlfriend who ends up being bumped off by him in a scene which is extremely well done.

Watched "The Gay Divorcee" (1934) directed by Mark Sandrich.

This was the first time I've ever seen this one. It was enjoyable, although I think "The Continental" number went on way too long. (I looked it up later, and it is about 17 minutes long.) To me, I think I actually liked the comedy better than anything else. Erik Rhodes was quite funny as the clueless correspondent, and I liked the fact that Edward Everett Horton actually had a musical number. However, the movie was too much of an art deco never-neverland for my taste. It made me appreciate "Swing Time" and "Shall We Dance?" more.

I think The Gay Divorcee is the first of the films were Fred and Ginger got top billing, I agree the comedy is spot on, I kind of like the Continental but it is long.

I can't believe I hadn't heard of Background to Danger before it was lots of fun, the kind of film I really like.

You make me want to revisit this one and the Garbo version, before the new one comes out...

Today I watched "There's Always Tomorrow" (1955) directed by Douglas Sirk.

I liked this film. The credit sequence seems to promise an ultra-feminine movie, but the film is really about Fred MacMurray's mid-life crisis. It is as if he wills Barbara Stanwyck into existence to get him out of his marriage. I loved how Sirk used the toy robot that MacMurray's company designed to comment on MacMurray's problems. Also, it was interesting to see how the children spied on the adults. The last image of the movie was supposedly "happy" but really left a sense of imprisonment.

Also, the movie felt like a deliberate farewell to film noir. We have MacMurray, Stanwyck and Joan Bennett in a plot that resolutely turns it back on adultery and other forbidden acts and says "we're too old to act like that."

Absolutely concur Mike, such an adult, well done film. I've always favoured it over other Sirk films.

Re: The Maggie

The most wonderful things about Ealing comedies is that they make you smile. Sometimes you laugh out loud but you certainly smile. There's a genteel quality to them that even when things are going wrong for one of the characters those situations are met with a calm and almost inevitable feeling that things will work out. Maybe not the way every one planned but all will be fine.

I don't know who thought, much less persuaded, Paul Douglas to do this film but it was a wonderful thought. The best kind of teddy bear men are often the most imposing. Douglas, even at his most angry, still tries to reason with these people when they have been deceptive. But they've been terribly nice about it. It's hard to be real mad at them.

I could feel for Douglas. Not too differently I had a vacation once that felt like his trip to get his cargo to its destination. Everything that could go wrong seemed to go wrong for me. Our curse was a car. Mine was the kind of trip that everyday you woke up and wondered what would go wrong today. I felt Douglas was probably thinking the same thing.

The people that are in these films seem to be those that they hired when they came to town. Certainly the extras are. There is such a kindness about them that it makes the place worth living in. The scene where Douglas is talking to the young girl and she talks about who she should marry is just wonderful. Every word is well considered. Every word is a gentle slap at Douglas. I kept thinking he would ask her which one did she love. That would have ruined the scene but his comment about considering the man with the dream of making more of himself was an unwitting justification of his own path. She set him straight.

It's a lovely film full of fine performances and wonderful characters. You may not love and put it in your list of favorites but you can't help but like it. I liked it very much.

This is one I truly want to see. Is it any schedule?