The Silver Screen Oasis

I gotcha, ChiO.


...But you'd look awfully silly in a dress. Geronimoooooooooooooo!

I tend to forget that was Dorothy M in THE BIG SLEEP. Boys DO make passes at girls who wear glasses! Come to think of it, I could use a BEN-HUR 1860 myself!

Our local theater presented two Christmas classics this past weekend. They showed Miracle on 34th Street and The Bells of St. Mary's each day all weekend. It was a treat to see them on the big screen. We're hoping that they keep up this tradition next year with other classic holiday films.

Finished up The Roaring Twenties last night for the first time. While a lot of it seems cliched by today's standards, it's important to understand where these cliches were begun, and it's right here in this Bogie/Cagney bootlegger film, along with the early Edward G Robinson gangster pictures. The end is to be expected, but performed wonderfully by Cagney.

ROARING TWENTIES is a stylish, exciting little gangster drama.

While a lot of it seems cliched by today's standards, it's important to understand where these cliches were begun

I'm so happy you made that point, Lomm. Modern audiences tend to look down on "tired old concepts." They need to understand that they weren't always tired and old! Before TV, there were a lot fewer cliches. We didn't see ANYTHING over and over. This weekend, I read STAGE DOOR, the clever play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber. One character observes the excessive foot traffic in the house by remarking, "It's like Grand Central Station!" We've heard that joke 1,000 times. But this is probably where it started! I don't think the famously witty Kaufman would fall back on an old warhorse.

For an era that makes sequels on top of sequels ( Iron Man, Lord of the Rings etc... ) I'm not listening to what they say. Long live classic films.

Hear hear!

Me, too!

Thank goodness there was only one Nick & Nora movie, and only one Falcon movie, and only one Lone Wolf movie, and only one Phillip Marlowe movie, and only one....

SUPERMAN 12: Lex Luthor gets a hair transplant. Opening Christmas Day!

Yesterday I watched "The Stranger" (1946) directed by Orson Welles.

Usually, I've seen "The Stranger" dismissed as the only "ordinary" movie Welles made. I've even seen it dismissed as a rip-off of "Shadow of a Doubt."

However, I have to say I was pretty impressed with it and like it better than "Lady from Shanghai."

The movie has a delirious, dream-like feel, and I loved all the expressionist shadows as the minor war criminal passed through South America. There seemed to be something exciting and different in each set-up Welles used, whether it was the minor war criminal's attack on Robinson in the gym, or Welles trying to hide the body when the college boys were running through the woods for the 'paper chase.'

The climax in the clock tower was very powerful and had a near horror-movie feel. Indeed, I had to think of "Frankenstein" and "Metropolis" at times.

And I really liked Billy House as the town know-it-all and busy-body.

THE STRANGER is a thoughtful, exciting movie. I wonder if it's unfairly criticized due to an (obviously) unfair comparison to CITIZEN KANE. Duh! Of course, it's inferior to that classic. But this is a fine psychological thriller. There's nothing I don't like about it.

I find ELEANOR PARKER incredibly talented and I have been having a ball watching her movies today on TCM. My favorites are OF HUMAN BONDAGE, THE WOMAN IN WHITE, and SCARAMOUCHE ... and planning on watching INTERRUPTED MELODY soon and I was stunned by her portrayal in the 1948 Movie ... THE WOMAN IN WHITE.

This movie been talked about in various locations throughout this forum and I haven't seen this movie in my lifetime of which Eleanor Parker played two characters - Laurie Fairlie and Anne Catherick and she was amazing in this movie. I find this movie full of great dialogue, fantastic sets, and fabulous photography that leaves you utterly amazed by the constant use of shadows in this movie. I find it quite suspenseful and takes you to a journey of strange people - for example Agnes Moorehead as Countess Fosco and Syndey Overstreet as Count Fosco - these two were at the top of their game and I enjoyed their performances in this movie.

Alexis Smith and Gig Young were splendid too and this is a well rounded cast ... I find this movie one of the best Eleanor Parker Movies and I so glad that TCM was able to showcase her today in honor of her memory to all of us. I just can't believe that I spent over 10 hours watching television today ... and I had a ball doing so.

I just loved THE WOMAN IN WHITE.

I wonder if it's unfairly criticized due to an (obviously) unfair comparison to CITIZEN KANE. Duh!

That's part of it, but I've also read statements by Welles that denigrated it as a Hollywood movie he made just to prove he could make a Hollywood movie on time and on the cheap (it coming on the heels of the aborted IT'S ALL TRUE).

Interestingly, Robinson was not Welles' choice for that role. He wanted Agnes Moorehead. Now that would have been special.

YAY!!!! AGGIE!!! I saw her twice today with Eleanor Parker ( "The Woman In White" and "Caged." )

[u]ChiO[/u] wrote:Me, too!

Thank goodness there was only one Nick & Nora movie, and only one Falcon movie, and only one Lone Wolf movie, and only one Phillip Marlowe movie, and only one....

Again you prove my case. They don't make sequels the way they used to.

Knitty, I just saw your gal in the final number of Good News this morning. Far left in the last shot of the full cast.