Movie Talk
My favorite scene is The New York Inquirer’s cover meeting after regular business hours.
two things:
Newspapers don't have covers. (We can discuss the need to have daily newspaper front page meetings after hours some other time. A need that monthly magazines don't have.)
Good thing you don't charge me rent for that spot in your head.
Who is this one?
This favorite son?
Who by his antics has The Atlantic magazine on the run?
Saw an interesting movie last night, Edge of the City (1957), with Sidney Poitier, John Cassavetes and Jack Warden. Set on the waterfront in NY. Here's the blurb:
Edge of the City is a 1957 American film-noir drama film directed by Martin Ritt, starring John Cassavetes and Sidney Poitier.[2] It was Ritt's debut film as a director. Robert Alan Aurthur's screenplay was expanded from his original script, staged as the final episode of Philco Television Playhouse, A Man Is Ten Feet Tall (1955), also featuring Poitier.
The film was considered unusual for its time because of its portrayal of an interracial friendship, and was praised by representatives of the NAACP, Urban League, American Jewish Committee and Interfaith Council because of its portrayal of racial brotherhood.
Anyway, if you see it come around again, catch it. It's worth the time. It's available for streaming on a few platforms too.
On another note - I also saw The Blackboard Jungle for the umpteenth time, and I just figured out that Vic Morrow played the student named West, the surliest one in the class. I had been thinking what became of that actor, because it was a great performance (though more than a bit Rod Steiger-ish). That led me to read on about the rise and fall of Morrow's career. A sad story, for the most part.
Re Morrow, "Combat" was IMO one of the great unsung TV shows of that era. An antiwar war show before that was really a thing. No cartoonish exaggerated American fighting heroics etc. Just a bunch of guys who wanted to slog through it and get home.
A complete list of leading men who managed to have zero chemistry with Audrey Hepburn, compiled after viewing 30 seconds of cavorting in Love in the Afternoon:
1. Gary Cooper
Recently watched The Children's Hour, (1961 version) and frankly, I didn't think James Garner had much chemistry with Audrey Hepburn either...
finnegan said:
Recently watched The Children's Hour, (1961 version) and frankly, I didn't think James Garner had much chemistry with Audrey Hepburn either...
Love that film. Could it have been deliberate? Was the audience supposed to wonder about Audrey Hepburn after the reveal? I was always more of a Shirley Maclaine fan anyway and her role in The Children's Hour got to me.
As for Audrey Hepburn, my favorite film was Wait Until Dark.
drummerboy said:
Maybe Audrey Hepburn is the problem.
Let me see. Give me a second. Thinking ...
Absolutely not.
DaveSchmidt said:
drummerboy said:
Maybe Audrey Hepburn is the problem.
Let me see. Give me a second. Thinking ...
Absolutely not.
Yeah. Maybe. She doesn't do much for me, though I liked her in My Fair Lady. Other than that...
drummerboy said:
I liked her in My Fair Lady. Other than that...
You slay me.
After looking over the list of Audrey Hepburn's films, she did not have steamy scenes with any of her leading men perhaps as she was type cast as beautiful and regal.
I'd contrast her to one of my favorites, Kim Novak in Picnic, Vertigo, or my absolute favorite (and my mother's) Bell, Book and Candle. But Picnic, the dance scene, the song, she seduced. None of her leading men were even noticeable in the scenes.
Actually, the actresses of that period were often more appealing than the men. Contrast Rita Hayworth in Gilda with Glenn Ford. Kim Novak with Jimmy Stewart.
Although I'd flip that theory with Brando. I never got the casting of Kim Stanley in Streetcar.
Now Ava Gardner and Clark Gable in Mogambo, pretty good match but again he goes for Grace Kelly which brings us full circle to an Audrey Hepburn type.
I'm going to stop typing before I do the 100 Best and Worst Matches in Film.
Hmm, Bogey and Bacall good one.
I watched Anatomy of a Murder with James Stewart last night. The model fir all courtroom dramas. Great performances by the whole cast.
Then, watched BLISS on Prime w Owen wilson and Salma Hayek. Hmmm, how do I put this? I never liked Owen Wilson, and this film changes nothing. It is mediocre at best. I’d skip it if I was you. Sheesh, really dumb.
The_Soulful_Mr_T said:
I watched Anatomy of a Murder with James Stewart last night. The model fir all courtroom dramas. Great performances by the whole cast.
Then, watched BLISS on Prime w Owen wilson and Salma Hayek. Hmmm, how do I put this? I never liked Owen Wilson, and this film changes nothing. It is mediocre at best. I’d skip it if I was you. Sheesh, really dumb.
Agree with you on both.
I'm crazy about courtroom dramas and Anatomy of a Murder is stellar. Surprised you didn't throw in a cheer for Lee Remick.
Also would consider for a top spot, Witness for the Prosecution.
Also don't care for Owen Wilson.
Morganna said:
Agree with you on both.
I'm crazy about courtroom dramas ...
A good entry of more recent vintage is Marshall, with Chadwick Boseman, in case you missed it (as we did until recording it at home).
Here’s one from the same era of Anatomy and Witness that doesn’t get mentioned a lot even though it’s right up there: Compulsion (1959).
Been a fan of Compulsion forever, ever since I stumbled upon the book in high school. (Though I didn't see the film til much later. It's been on a rotation recently - must have aired several times in the last year on various stations.)
Have always been partial to Inherit the Wind for courtroom dramas. (Original version, though the remake is good too.)
ETA: The Inherit the Wind remake (George C. Scott and Jack Lemmon) is available on youtube for free.
DaveSchmidt said:
A good entry of more recent vintage is Marshall, with Chadwick Boseman, in case you missed it (as we did until recording it at home).
I'll look for it.
Saw Compulsion years ago. I'd watch it again.
Loved Inherit the Wind. I've only seen the original.
Anyone ever see the mini series Q B V11 ? I wish they would rerun the series. Amazing cast. Available on Prime.
This weekend I watched "Herb Alpert is.." on Netflix. It's a documentary about Herb Alpert and the extraordinarily successful A&M record label. His music was never very ground-breaking or radical. It was fun, easy-listening and had real schtick.. One realizes, though, that Alpert and Jerry Moss (A&M) were fantastic marketers. Album titles, song titles, record covers, schmaltz, schtick, were their stock and trade. And, boy, they cleaned up.
I bet you didn't know that Herb Alpert was a nice Jewish boy from LA. Parents were Russian refugees. He knew nothing about Mexico or Latin music until he made a Mexican-sounding record. And it worked! so they kept on going.
It's a fun and interesting doc with great stuff about the music business in the 60s and 70s.
They ultimately sold A&M for $500 million.
As a trumpet player, I was (and still am) a huge fan of Alpert. He's had a remarkable artistic life. And people forget how incredibly popular he was in 60's.
It was pretty cool that as a 10 year old aspiring player, one of the most popular groups at the time was The Tijuana Brass. My elementary school music teacher and I toured my elementary school classrooms playing TJB tunes to spark interest in the band program.
To my ear, he is the tastiest player ever. His touch is as light as a feather.
If we are talking music documentaries and the 60s I love this one from Showtime. ( Herb Alpert, I can still see my parents album covers in my mind.)
In and Of Itself. Hulu. Just check it out. Really can’t be explained. Worth it.
jeffl said:
In and Of Itself. Hulu. Just check it out. Really can’t be explained. Worth it.
Just watched it. Yes, well worth the time.
It's partly a magic show, partly storytelling, and partly something that I can't describe.
The ending is baffling and pretty amazing.
ETA: That was Bill Gates in the audience, right?
drummerboy said:
jeffl said:
In and Of Itself. Hulu. Just check it out. Really can’t be explained. Worth it.
Just watched it. Yes, well worth the time.
It's partly a magic show, partly storytelling, and partly something that I can't describe.
The ending is baffling and pretty amazing.
ETA: That was Bill Gates in the audience, right?
Yes Gates. And Annie Liebobitz. And Susan Sarandon. And more celebs.
Was terrific, thanks.
Questions of what was real and what wasn't linger but that's magic, huh?
Some of it you can guess how he’s doing it but other parts, total amazement
bub said:
Was terrific, thanks.
Questions of what was real and what wasn't linger but that's magic, huh?
I don't want to spoil things for people but would like to discuss how various parts of it are connected.
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I'm not sure if every library in the BCCLS system has access to it but many now have free access to the Kanopy streaming movie and TV service. It's impressive. It has at least two movies that have long been on my list that I could not find for free, and sometimes not at all, on any of the other commercial streaming services. Libraries also usually give you access to Hoopla, which includes movies as well as ebooks and music.