MUSINGS, PONDERINGS, RUMINATIONS AND FANCIES

[laffite]

Swithin, I've only seen Miranda in DANCE WITH A STRANGER but it has whetted my appetite for more of her performances. Thanks!

I am not Swithin, but ... If I may.

She is splendid in Enchanted April (1991) and in Tom and Viv (1994). Both of these films have great casts. The Tom of the film is T.S. Eliot, played splendidly by Willem Dafoe. Miranda, his wife, as his oh so difficult wife.

The BBC (I think) released a DVD entitled SHADES OF DARKNESS,Six Mysterious Tales of the Paranormal. Miranda appears in one of them, "The Demon Lover," based on a short story by Elizabeth Bowen. She has an iddy-biddy role, and she is a babe. Very early in her career and possibly not credited. In two short scenes, she is snippy sarcastic while speaking to her younger brother; lying on her side with head propped up by her arm, speaking daggers. She is sexy beyond belief. Not exploited though, she is simply an older sister.

I am appalled after having perused her extended filmography how much I have not seen. I have too, too many years on my back to get to them all. Pity.

I recommend this DVD. The story mentioned above is on YouTube. If i recall the video makes you believe that it's much longer that it is. Some defect. It runs less than an hour. I read Bowen's short story out of curiosity and it is as threadbare as can be. They padded it for TV but it is SO splendid. Pray heed.

[Andree]

Nothing quite like a British psycho.

I'm glad I can feel some sympathy for schlumpy, whiny Shelley Winters in A PLACE IN THE SUN. George was such a stinker.

Yeah, I think I'll also see if CRY WOLF is on YouTube. I always like to watch Errol Flynn stretching his acting muscles.

Not to generalize too much, but they do seem to be less emotional and gory than their American counterparts, though the most
famous British psycho of all, Jack the Ripper, left a number of bloody messes behind in an un-British way. I always enjoy that scene
where George and Alice are about to explore one another's erotic potentialities when the camera shifts to the open window with the
rain outside and the soft glow of the radio. The movie leaves quite a lot of the novel out and George is more sympathetic to me in the
novel, as we get a fuller picture of his life before he shows up as his uncle's. But still he is kind of a minor league hustler, until he becomes
desperate.

Cry Wolf is available on YT, but only if one wants to buy or rent it. I'm not in that much of a hurry to see it.

[Bronxgirl48]

Yes, laffite, indeed you may.....and thank you so much! Wow, it seems everyone has seen a lot of Miranda Richardson! I must catch up!

[Bronxgirl48]

Nothing quite like a British psycho.

I'm glad I can feel some sympathy for schlumpy, whiny Shelley Winters in A PLACE IN THE SUN. George was such a stinker.

Yeah, I think I'll also see if CRY WOLF is on YouTube. I always like to watch Errol Flynn stretching his acting muscles.

Not to generalize too much, but they do seem to be less emotional and gory than their American counterparts, though the most
famous British psycho of all, Jack the Ripper, left a number of bloody messes behind in an un-British way. I always enjoy that scene
where George and Alice are about to explore one another's erotic potentialities when the camera shifts to the open window with the
rain outside and the soft glow of the radio. The movie leaves quite a lot of the novel out and George is more sympathetic to me in the
novel, as we get a fuller picture of his life before he shows up as his uncle's. But still he is kind of a minor league hustler, until he becomes
desperate.

Cry Wolf is available on YT, but only if one wants to buy or rent it. I'm not in that much of a hurry to see it.

I'm remembering a scene in I think FRENZY where a police inspector tells his colleague how much tourists look forward to British fog and serial killers. Conversely it seems our across-the-pond cousins always wax enthusiastic about Al Capone.

Yes, George Stevens sets that scene up very well. I haven't read the novel but did see the original 1931 film. Sylvia Sidney is much more appealing than poor Shelley, though.

Too bad about CRY WOLF. I have no intention either of buying or renting.

.

[Swithin]

Swithin, I've only seen Miranda in DANCE WITH A STRANGER but it has whetted my appetite for more of her performances. Thanks!

I am not Swithin, but ... If I may.

She is splendid in Enchanted April (1991) and in Tom and Viv (1994). Both of these films have great casts. The Tom of the film is T.S. Eliot, played splendidly by Willem Dafoe. Miranda, his wife, as his oh so difficult wife.

The BBC (I think) released a DVD entitled SHADES OF DARKNESS,Six Mysterious Tales of the Paranormal. Miranda appears in one of them, "The Demon Lover," based on a short story by Elizabeth Bowen. She has an iddy-biddy role, and she is a babe. Very early in her career and possibly not credited. In two short scenes, she is snippy sarcastic while speaking to her younger brother; lying on her side with head propped up by her arm, speaking daggers. She is sexy beyond belief. Not exploited though, she is simply an older sister.

I am appalled after having perused her extended filmography how much I have not seen. I have too, too many years on my back to get to them all. Pity.

I recommend this DVD. The story mentioned above is on YouTube. If i recall the video makes you believe that it's much longer that it is. Some defect. It runs less than an hour. I read Bowen's short story out of curiosity and it is as threadbare as can be. They padded it for TV but it is SO splendid. Pray heed.

I am not Bronxgirl, but... if I may.

I mentioned A Dance to the Music of Time, a British miniseries based on the Anthony Powell novels. If you haven't seen it, Lafitte, it's right up your street. Everybody is in it, including John Gielgud. And Miranda Richardson has a major role.

[EP Millstone]

Too bad about CRY WOLF. I have no intention either of buying or renting.

Cry Wolf is available -- for free! -- on the Russian OK website:

Barbara Stanwyck Films

Classic Movies Kristine Rose

For The Ages - HD 1930 - 1959

Juhi Thakur

[Deke Thornton]

New here, just add my thoughts.....

Jessica scared me more than Glenn
Miranda is excellent in everything
Kate gets the edge over Barbara
Haven't seen even one, let alone 2 Mrs Carrolls

[Bronxgirl48]

Welcome, Deke!

Kate vs. Babs! Go to it!

[Bronxgirl48]

Millstone, a Russian website, lol. Thanks so much! Can't wait to watch it!

[laffite]

New here, just add my thoughts.....


Miranda is excellent in everything
Kate gets the edge over Barbara
Haven't seen even one, let alone 2 Mrs Carrolls

Careful. I said recently that "Barbara can do anything," and was roundly rebuked. I tried to invoke the "figure of speech" argument to wiggle out of it. Estimating versatility can be a many a dicey thing, ; or, in the lamentable words of Dubya, misunderestimating as well. As to the Mrs Carrolls, don't watch either movie, their both lousy.

I am still suffering mightily from advancing the notion that Barby Stanny could really, you know, scream. And speaking of Mrs Carroll, did she (Barby) elicit any kind of such a thing at all at the end when being rudely threatened by Bad Bogey? If not, she certainly missed an opportunity. Miss Stanwyck, young lady, where are you when I need you. BTW, I haven't given up, I'm still working on that project in uncovering Stanny's screams. Seriously, I think that's true about her. I should consult that filmography our lovely hostess has just posted,
//

[Bronxgirl48]

I wonder if Missy screams in FLESH AND FANTASY. She does have a knack for raising her voice extremely well in many films although not sure they rise to shriek levels.

[Swithin]

Although I mentioned that I'd like to have seen Kate instead of Babs in The Lady Eve, I'm afraid I wouldn't want to get involved in a "Kate vs. Babs" conversation, because I don't think Babs is on Kate's level, and to frame a discussion that way elevates Babs too much.

Kate and Bette are on the same level, but not Babs (though I enjoy many of her movies.)

Here are Andrew Sarris's famous categories for film directors working in America. I think these categories can be used for actors as well. I would place Kate and Bette in the Pantheon; and Babs in Lightly Likable (giving her the benefit of the doubt, because she does do a reasonable job in many important and enjoyable movies, I've decided not to place her in Less Than Meets the Eye.)

Pantheon
Expressive Esoterica
Fringe Benefits
Less Than Meets the Eye
Lightly Likable
Strained Seriousness
Oddities, One-Shots, and Newcomers
Subjects for Further Research
Make Way for the Clowns!
Miscellany

(FYI, here's a link to Sarris's categories and the directors he places in each of them. I certainly don't agree with many of his choices, but at least he's taking a serious and important approach to directors and movies with his rankings.)

https://www.theyshootpictures.com/sarriscategories.htm

[Bronxgirl48]

Interesting, Swithin! Kate was a classically trained actress and so could tackle and be brilliant in material like SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER, LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT and THE LION IN WINTER. She's very modern in that way. Bette as well but in a different sort of, oh I don't know, idiosyncratic vein. Difficult to compare/contrast these two, and then throw Missy into the mix, lol.

[Swithin]

Interesting, Swithin! Kate was a classically trained actress and so could tackle and be brilliant in material like SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER, LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT and THE LION IN WINTER. She's very modern in that way. Bette as well but in a different sort of, oh I don't know, idiosyncratic way. Difficult to compare/contrast these two, and then throw Missy into the mix, lol.

A funny idiosyncrasy is that autocorrect wants to change Babs to Babe or Bags! I've had to go back and make corrections!

[Swithin]

Deleted duplicate post.