tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post113109585306890000..comments2024-03-24T13:26:57.317-07:00Comments on Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule: CAROLE LOMBARD AND CULT CLASSICS ON TCMDennis Cozzaliohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01954848938471883431noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131573155577974612005-11-09T13:52:00.000-08:002005-11-09T13:52:00.000-08:00We had a pre-Code festival in Los Angeles at UCLA ...We had a pre-Code festival in Los Angeles at UCLA back in May/June of this year.<BR/><BR/>Here's what you missed:<BR/>http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/calendar/calendardetails.aspx?details_type=2&id=168 <BR/><BR/>And here's a 2003 one:<BR/>http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/calendar/calendardetails.aspx?details_type=2&id=77<BR/><BR/>I missed most of these, too, but was able to dig up copies of these films at the excellent Eddie Brandt's Saturday Matinee video store in North Hollywood. <B><I>The Story of Temple Drake</B></I> (1933, Stephen Roberts), starring Miriam Hopkins, really floored me. Intense and gritty, it's actually an incredibly good film, and risqué to boot. I also saw <B><I>Blood Money</B></I> (1933, Rowland Brown), which was decent, and <B><I>Search for Beauty</I></B> (1934, Erle C. Kenton), starring Ida Lupino and Buster Crabbe, which was really outrageous. See the UCLA description, which says it best:<BR/><BR/><I>This risqué and riotous tale features the hunky Buster Crabbe and young ingenue Ida Lupino, making her American film debut. Crabbe and Lupino star as Olympic athletes duped by a pair of unscrupulous hustlers into fronting a fitness magazine—really a titillating skin rag—and a resort, "Health Acres." While the earnest pair has high hopes for the fitness camp, their patrons have other ideas. SEARCH FOR BEAUTY includes hilarious dialogue, salacious innuendo and a shocking locker room sequence featuring a bare-bottomed Crabbe. Also appearing are 30 winners of the "International Beauty Contest," a studio stunt that offered the winners a trip to Hollywood and a part in the film. Based on the play "Love Your Body" by Schuyler E. Grey, Paul R. Milton.</I><BR/><BR/>Lupino's <B><I>Hitch-Hiker</I></B> is good, and I have taped <I><B>Party Girl</I></B> off TCM myself, but have yet to get around to watching it. I agree with Alison that it's impossible to schedule around TCM's insane line-up. And some of the rarest stuff is on at all hours of the night. And when you try to get around it by taping the stuff, you just end up with piles of tapes or DVDs you can't ever get around to watching!<BR/><BR/>- The Mysterious ]Ad]r`ia]~n [Be[ta`m[a~xAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131401379695955052005-11-07T14:09:00.000-08:002005-11-07T14:09:00.000-08:00My understanding is that the Columbia pre-code ser...My understanding is that the Columbia pre-code series at the Castro last month, which is where I saw <B>Virtue</B>, was not a travelling series. The Paramount series currently at the Balboa is similar to the one that New York's Film Forum ran earlier this year. Though I believe there are at least a few titles we got that they didn't (and probably vice versa). I don't know if they're going anywhere afterward (I suspect the Von Sternbergs are the same prints you Southies got to see recently) but a lot of the prints come directly from UCLA.<BR/><BR/>Next time you come through town give me a heads up. I was actually playing a music gig at a bar three blocks south of the Roxie that very evening.Brian Darrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17693169310367670898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131396371069800712005-11-07T12:46:00.000-08:002005-11-07T12:46:00.000-08:00Brian: I really appreciate your stirring up the Lo...Brian: I really appreciate your stirring up the Lombard pot for me and sharing your experiences with these early films. It makes me realize all over again just how much she did that I still haven't seen. Is this pre-code series you're taking such delicious advantage of a traveling program, or is it something curated specifically for the Balboa? <BR/><BR/>(By the way, I did make it to the Roxie the Thursday before Halloween-- my best friend and I attended a screening of <I>Los Angeles Plays Itself</I>, the perfect prelude to returning with him down here to do some running around. We were in the "Little Roxie", actually, but no matter-- I still enjoyed the Mission District. We had an excellent burrito at the Mariachi taqueria just around the corner from the theater and then got to spend some time talking to the very friendly ticket-taker/snack bar attendant/projectionist before and after the show. I hope to get back up there soon!)Dennis Cozzaliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954848938471883431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131395736193914512005-11-07T12:35:00.000-08:002005-11-07T12:35:00.000-08:00Not only was Bolero directed by Ruggles, it (accor...Not only was <B>Bolero</B> directed by Ruggles, it (according to imdb) was co-directed by an uncredited Mitchell Leisen. I saw it on a double bill with Leisen's outrageous Busby Berkeley ripoff <B>Murder at the Vanities</B>, indeed as part of that pre-code series up here in Frisco. I haven't seen <B>True Confession</B> yet, but expect to see at least one more Lombard film in this series, <B>White Woman</B> with Charles Laughton. I also saw <B>Virtue</B>, which is even better than <B>Bolero</B>, at a cross-town pre-code series last month. I'm really just starting to get into Lombard. Finally.<BR/><BR/>Kael's description of <B>Bolero</B> is priceless and accurate, except that she muddles the history slightly; at the time it was made only one Astaire/Rogers team-up had been released: <B>Flying Down to Rio</B>.Brian Darrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17693169310367670898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131385521438262972005-11-07T09:45:00.000-08:002005-11-07T09:45:00.000-08:00All righty, I've signed it. Thanks for steering u...All righty, I've signed it. Thanks for steering us toward it! I, too, noticed how imcomplete the MGM/UA site is in listing the Midnite Movies titles. Wha--?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131366197772549942005-11-07T04:23:00.000-08:002005-11-07T04:23:00.000-08:00Damn, I need to see that Green Slime flick! The po...Damn, I need to see that Green Slime flick! The poster alone makes it a masterpiece. Unfortunately, I won't be able to see it in Europe, I guess...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131356486132659972005-11-07T01:41:00.000-08:002005-11-07T01:41:00.000-08:00Brian: I think Pauline Kael may have answered my p...Brian: I think Pauline Kael may have answered my pre-code question for me. In her capsule review of <I>Bolero</I>, from <I>5001 Nights at the Movies</I>, she writes:<BR/><BR/>"The Astaire and Rogers pictures were making money at RKO, so somebody at Paramount got the idea of passing off Raft and Lombard as a dance team. The studio poured every sultry effect shameless people could dream up into this movie, and, almost incredibly, got by with it-- though it was low camp even then. In the big number, set to Ravel's "Bolero," Raft and Lombard gyrate on a circular elevated platform while bare-chested black men sit around them, pounding on drums. Some of those who saw the picture in the '30s could never again keep a straight face when they heard that music." <BR/><BR/>And it turns out this one was directed by Wesley Ruggles too! Wow! I've gotta see this!Dennis Cozzaliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954848938471883431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131356082871585982005-11-07T01:34:00.000-08:002005-11-07T01:34:00.000-08:00I think that's exactly right, yet somehow the one ...I think that's exactly right, yet somehow the one quality never ends up undermining the other on screen-- she makes them coexist believably so that what comes off as a natural attribute (the strength) never gets in the way of her ability to create a character who might not herself be strong. A film of hers that hasn't nearly the reputation it deserves is <I>True Confession</I> (1937), costarring Fred Macmurray and directed by Wesley Ruggles. Have you seen it? It's a terrific screwball comedy. Was <I>Bolero</I> part of the pre-code festival going on up there right now? Because I'd love to see Lombard let even more of that natural sauciness spill onto the screen.Dennis Cozzaliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954848938471883431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131355511039112042005-11-07T01:25:00.000-08:002005-11-07T01:25:00.000-08:00Just saw a fun Lombard obscurity: Bolero with Geor...Just saw a fun Lombard obscurity: <B>Bolero</B> with George Raft. There's just something about her that's different from any other star of the period; a kind of strength she exudes even when she plays characters with great weaknesses.Brian Darrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17693169310367670898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131321196725697562005-11-06T15:53:00.000-08:002005-11-06T15:53:00.000-08:00Thankfully, TCM is now in Canada, so I'll be able ...Thankfully, TCM is now in Canada, so I'll be able to enjoy such broadcast rarities when they replay.Aaron W. Grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11988034390125865431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131268486716871092005-11-06T01:14:00.000-08:002005-11-06T01:14:00.000-08:00I never thought to look on the MGM Web site...It s...I never thought to look on the MGM Web site...<BR/><BR/>It seems somewhat incomplete though-- for example, I couldn't find the recent release of <I>Dunwich Horror</I> on a double feature with another title I can't remember now. I wonder if it's just not been updated in a while.<BR/><BR/>I also found a list on Amazon.com that purports to be a complete roster of MGM Midnite Movie titles. I'm not sure I buy that either (where's <I>Valley of the Giants</I>?), but it's interesting to look through anyway:<BR/><BR/>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/listmania/list-browse/-/3H5J2XMH0Z6BB/103-3779821-3331018<BR/><BR/>(If the above link gets truncated in this comments column, you can find the article by simpling Googling "Listmania MGM Midnite Movies")<BR/><BR/>And here's a link to a petition asking Sony and MGM Entertainment to continue the MGM Midnite Movies line. I think I'll put this on the actual article, but until I do, please go here to sign it:<BR/><BR/>http://www.petitiononline.com/mid2005/Dennis Cozzaliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954848938471883431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131266460525044882005-11-06T00:41:00.000-08:002005-11-06T00:41:00.000-08:00The SF Chronicle's Datebook for last Sunday featur...The SF Chronicle's Datebook for last Sunday featured what was presented as a new Midnite Movies release among their DVD highlights for the week: a double feature of "Panic in Year Zero" with Ray Milland and "The Last Man on Earth" with Vincent Price (which one of your readers, Wonderlandsomething, recommended to me on your blog recently). So it would seem the Midnite series is still going. Can't find "The Green Slime" on the MGM site, of course, but we can hope.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131265107195216022005-11-06T00:18:00.000-08:002005-11-06T00:18:00.000-08:00Ah, yes, Soylent Green. I remember tagging along w...Ah, yes, <I>Soylent Green</I>. I remember tagging along with you to see that one-- I think that was the first time I ever met your soon-to-be wife-- when I was about 13 years old, I believe. I remember her talking about how she was gonna try and set me up with her sister, so of course I thought about <I>that</I> a whole lot more than I did the movie that night! Alas, the proposed matchmaking never panned out, but, hey, <I>Soylent Green</I> lives! (And I hear it's <I>people!</I>) <BR/><BR/>I did manage to catch a glimpse of <I>The Green Slime</I> Friday afternoon-- it was not, as advertised on the TCM Web site, letterboxed, and the print looked like it had been around a while. Usually if a spiffy new letterboxed print of something like this shows up on TCM, that's a pretty good clue that it's getting shined up for DVD, but this did not look like the case here. And I can't say so for sure, but I doubt the movie has been captioned yet. If MGM (or Sony, I guess, which now owns the MGM film library) ever resurrects their Midnite Movie label up to full speed again, I would think that <I>The Gren Slime</I> would be a prime candidate for a digital presentation. But for now, I'll cherish the DVD I dubbed off of TCM Friday afternoon until something better comes along.<BR/><BR/>Yeah, I seem to remember seeing a lot of movies with you, Karen and Brian in the early-to-mid '70s. Remember <I>Evel Kneivel</I> with George Hamilton? Or <I>Zachariah</I>, the first "electric" western? How about <I>THX 1138</I>? (There was a little frontal nudity in that one, as I recall, although everyone in it was bald...) And your parents, carrying on a tradition started by my own mom of taking kids to violent Clint Eastwood cop films, took my sister and I to the drive-in to see <I>Magnum Force</I>. There's many more I'm sure I'm forgetting. What I wouldn't give to get ahold of a stack of old show calendars!<BR/><BR/>And thanks for the nice words about going to the movies with me through this blog-- I never thought about it before, but that's one of the things I always hoped for with this little undertaking, and you just articulated it in the best way.Dennis Cozzaliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954848938471883431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131263977916957752005-11-05T23:59:00.000-08:002005-11-05T23:59:00.000-08:00The Green Slime is one of the movies that I defina...The Green Slime is one of the movies that I definately remember from my childhood, it and Soylent Green really stand out in my mind for some reason, maybe it was the company I was with when I watched them. I got to say, I loved going to movies with you when we were kids, and even though we have not been to a movie together in ages, I still love going to movies with you through this blog. I can't wait to see it again also. Do you know if it has been CC'ed.Lesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09233467915836646981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131218004613085462005-11-05T11:13:00.000-08:002005-11-05T11:13:00.000-08:00Having finally seen Hitchcock's "Mr. and Mrs. Smit...Having finally seen Hitchcock's "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," thanks to you, I've now seen my first Carole Lombard movie, and I could definitely catch the bug you've had for some time. Must be nice to have TCM...one of these days I'll break down and spend the money for digital cable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131168932307756362005-11-04T21:35:00.000-08:002005-11-04T21:35:00.000-08:00Oooh, Carole Lombard. My fantasies about a romant...Oooh, Carole Lombard. My fantasies about a romantic comedy starring Carole and Cary rival (well, ALMOST rival) any personal fantasies I have starring me and George Clooney (a modern-day Cary Grant if ever there were one-- and there aren't one-- tho' my beloved thinks Pierce Brosnan is closest; my beloved is darling, but he aims a trifle low, I feel). <BR/><BR/>SO... when asked by Diane Sawyer what he anticipated in heaven, aforementioned fantasy-object George Clooney said: Nat King Cole at the piano and Rosemary Clooney singing "When I Fall in Love." That's good enough for me, and I hope I'm worshipfully clutching George's hand when he and I are welcomed into heaven to Rosie's and Nat's celestial chorus. <BR/><BR/>But on a more cinematic note, I think I might want to be ushered to a deluxe cinema with plush seats, excellent popcorn, and a double feature of Lombard/Grant flicks masterminded by Lubitsch and Wilder-- quelle heaven, indeed!<BR/><BR/>xo<BR/>JenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131155209869637772005-11-04T17:46:00.000-08:002005-11-04T17:46:00.000-08:00Yeah, I used to try to do the same thing, thinking...Yeah, I used to try to do the same thing, thinking there was some way to actually see everything they had to offer. I've since amended my misguided ways, for the most part, but when a good month like this one comes along-- well, let's just say it's why God invented DVD recorders! How have you been, AV?Dennis Cozzaliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954848938471883431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-1131155013292004602005-11-04T17:43:00.000-08:002005-11-04T17:43:00.000-08:00I used to try to schedule around TCM's schedule bu...I used to try to schedule around TCM's schedule but it proved impossible. Now I just turn it on when I get home and see what's on.Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09033647056646946629noreply@blogger.com