Happy New Year Everybody

and it looks like Buster Keaton will be winning my poll! 
Yay I secretly hoped he would. Thanks for voting!
He was the comedy genius, one of a kind.
Everyone have a happy and safe new year xx
Next post will be in  2010 or should it be called 20-10... lol Oh who knows.

Faces

Keeping in tune with my poll, todays face is that of Jobyna Ralston. She starred alongside Harold Lloyd in six of his comedies in the 20s. After Mildred Davis quit acting to be a full time wife and mother with Lloyd, Harold went hunting for a new leading lady, and then came Jobyna. Although Mildred starred in Harold Lloyds most well known film Safety Last, Jobyna has been recognized as Lloyds most loved leading lady, for her sweetness which is key for the ingenue roles she played in his films. 
She was born in Pittsburgh, Tennessee in 1899. Her parents themselves loved the theatre and named her after one of their favorite performers Jobyna Howland. Theatre being a big part of her young life she urged to be an actress. At 15 she left home and joined a performing arts company. In 1923 she won the WAMPAS Baby Star award, for all her work in comedies with the likes of Billy Quirk, an early Marx film (which is now lost) called Humor Risk, and appeared in dozens of comedy reels for Hal Roach. But what she is most well known for is her works with Harold Lloyd, together they starred in Why Worry, Girl Shy, Hot Water, The Freshman, For Heavens Sake and in 1927's The kid Brother. All films spanned over 5 years. After all her years working in comedy she branched away from her usual slapstick. In 1927 she had a role in the well known film Wings. In 1928 she worked with Frank Capra and Douglas Fairbanks Jr In a silent number called The Power of the Press. In 1930 she appeared in a play called bad Babies, which subsequently landed her in jail because the play was apparently "Indecent". When the popular talkie films became more common she found it hard to compete for roles as she had (just) a lisp which narrowed her chances and quit the bizz in 1931. 
In 1927 she married her Wings Co-Star Richard Arlen and in 1945 they divorced, together they had one child in 1933 named Richard Jr. 
Jobyna will be forever remembered as Harold Lloyds Beautiful leading lady, and a fabulous silent screen actor.
1899-1967

Happy Birthday Richard Widmark

Hope you enjoy my Brady Bunch Widmark Montage, Seems extremely cheese ball now that I look at it, 

but I guess we will have to live with it, WELL it shows his facial dimensions... lol Bottom left is..glee

Born 26th december 1914 -2008
He was a regular in film noirs in the 40s and 50s such as... 

Kiss Of Death- A Psychopath pushing an invalid down a flight of stairs.
This was his first Film appearance and he garnered a Best supporting actor Oscar.

and for awhile after was type cast as the Villain in a number of films.

Jules Dassin's Night and the City

Dassin and Widmark both died in March 2008 around 7 days apart...

Sam Fuller's Pick up on South Street - A Pick pocket going in for the killing.

Also.. The Street with no Name

Panic in the Streets

No Way Out...

He starred in many Westerns and War films, and along side Marilyn Monroe 

in one of her first starring vehicles Don't Bother too Knock.

He will be forever alive in the pictures.

Happy birthday Richard!

The Long, Hot Summer 1958

I saw this movie twice, for hopes I would suddenly realize I missed all the greatness I had originally hoped for the first time round. I have come to the conclusion that's it's not too bad, but not a must-see, take it or leave it..
I get that its not suppose to be fast paced and quick, judging from the title alone you get the picture, and it is very slow and it feels long. It just wasn't highly enjoyable. I’m not entirely sure what this film is lacking, and it’s not the actors that lacked, it’s not a bad movie, the plot just never thickened to great lengths. There were a few scenes that had your attention, but their were longer times nothing really happened. But then again this could be the point, it being set in a small country town and nothing really happens, just young people waiting to be swept away by love, but who knows. 
The dvd cover said "strikingly filmed", I didn't see anything striking about it,to me the imagery just looked any other technicolor cinemascope fifties film, it was on the other hand striking scenery. Filled with such a stellar cast, I was expecting much more, something much more engaging and personal. The Long Hot Summer marked the beginning for Newman and Woodward and they both give grade A performances, everyone did for sure. The musical score gave the film a nice touch of feeling the smoldering heat and was well suited, The long, hot summer certainly has it's high points and low ones.
I suppose you guys will have too see it for yourselves to make up your own minds.
Novel:
Based on the novel "The Hamlet", the author William Faulkner has had many of his works translated onto the sliver screen. Many with little success, but this is suppose to be a slight improvement from the others. I haven't read the originally novel so I wouldn't know how much the film makers followed the book. I have a feeling the book might be alot different or else it would be a pretty boring book. I read that Eula Varner falls pregnant and then gets deserted. That is something I suppose the censors would not allow! 


The film however only really survives on the merit of the damn good actors. 

20th Century Fox released this in 1958, Fox at the time were churning out films repeatedly with the cinemascope and rich technicolor competing with television, the color is a nice touch, cinemascope - who needs it. 

Plot Summary:

The long, Hot Summer is a southern tale, based on  the barriers of class and social status. The Varner’s are a prominent family in the small southern town of Frenchman's Bend, Mississippi, run by the controlling Mr Varner (Orson Welles). The family name and businesses (He happens to own everything in sight) is what drives him. Clara Varner, daughter, (Joanne Woodward) is a school teacher, Strong willed and proud but is starved the love she needs and desires. Her father, Mr Varner is determined to find a suitable suitor to marry her off. His son Jody Varner is married to Eula (lee Remick), but the two have had no luck bearing a child.  Jody is a terribly insecure man, run down by his father, and his needs for Jody to be the son he wanted and carry on the work load. Ben Quick (Paul Newman) a drifter, drifts into town and wants to start a new and leave behind the reputation that’s his own father has burdened him with. Quicks father was known for being a ruthless barn burner, so when a barn is burnt in the previous town Ben resided in, fingers point at the only one who could have possibly done the deed. Mr Varner knowing of Quick’s family name and reputation, starts spewing when he finds out his own son Jody has let Quick set up residency in one the Varner’s vacant farm homes. Varner eventually takes a liking to Quick’s confidents and wiliness to aim high, even reminding him of him-self. Jody starts to feel ambushed out of his position and realises that everyone even his own wife is comparing his lack of work ethic to Ben’s and he soon had a East of Eden, Aron Trask (Richard Davalos) breakdown. Meanwhile Clara is burdened with his fathers urges for her marry! Her love for Alan "Mama’s Boy" slaps her in the face, as his love for her is not the kind of love she hoped for, being more platonic than passionate. Daddy Vernor pushes Ben Quick onto Clara as he is exactly the man Vernor wants to carry the name...This film is filled with characters lacking something fruitful in their lives and their unwillingness for changing and confronting their own shortcomings in life. Revelations come clear in the end, very sweet.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Birthday Celebration

Too trumpeter,vocalist, flugelhorn player and pianist Chet Baker
Thanks for giving us all your jazzy tunes! (lol that guy next to Chet in the photo above looks absolutely out of it)
Born 23 December, 1929 in Yale Oklahoma and he died in 1988 at the age of 58 in Amsterdam. His death is debatable, some people think he accidentally fell out of his window (thats what I think too)  and some think he committed suicide, it will be forever a mystery. His most memorable and successful time of his life, musically was in the 50s-60s in America. He found success with "My funny Valentine", The tune had him collaborating with The Gary Mulligan Quartet. Gerry Mulligan was arrested on drug charges just in the prime in the musical groups glory. Baker's record company Pacific Jazz then released Chet Baker Sings, this made him become more well known with the general public, but his original fans shunned him for be a "traitor". In his career he went on singing till the end. His drug addiction eventually tarnished his career and in the 1960s was arrested in Italy for drug possession. Things got worse after an apparent drug deal went wrong and was so badly beaten around his mouth he had to learn how to play the Trumpet with dentures, his teeth may have just rotted away because his use of illegal substances.. In his career he worked with Art pepper, Stan Getz, Elvis Costello, and Astrud Gilberto many others. He will be remembered for his smooth jazz style and his general input into the genre (which started to decline in America when rock'n'Roll became prime in the 60s).

I'm not very computer savy, it took me so long to figure out how to do videos in posts, hope you will enjoy them. In the first video you can clearly see Chet's missing front teeth. 

Chet Baker live in Belguim 1964,  Time after Time

Jazz Icons -Chet Baker preview

1978's Worst Movies Of All Time

I know my blog is suppose to be a celebration of the great films. But i'll make an exepection for this book. I thought The Fifty Worst Movies of all time (and how they got that way) was interesting and funny enough to blog about. Some of the films featured in this piece of work are really predictable, a few featured I found a little surprising too see amongst the rubble. The author was yet to see the modern films of today, these days the title would be more like 250 ( or more) worst films of all time. The authors, Harry Medved and Randy Drefuss were able to put films like The Omen on the wagon, they had no idea what was too come in the way of  horror/thriller films. The Omen most likely wouldn't make it as one of the worst films of all time these days, (I saw the omen when I was a kid, I liked it then, not sure how i will feel about it today), Basically when it was released it was a "Money Maker" for the producers. 

This book purposely ignored entering silent film into the mix, not sure why, must of been because they wanted to focus on the worst of one film medium.  I'm taking it that this is not an opposite to a Must See film list it's more on the critical side of things, not based on what the general audience would desire too see and enjoy. The book features films that were box office successes and also films that were shunned by audiences and critics alike. A lot of the films mentioned would be forgettable to todays standards, as the restorations only go as far as reserving the timeless goodins. 

Here are a few Examples of baddies:

Peter Bogdanovich, who has spent his entire career preserving the classic style of film making with his pictures. He just seemed to fail on numerous occasions after the success of his Brilliant pictures Paper Moon, what's up Doc, The Last Picture Show etc. His popularity in late sixties and seventies seemed to give himself the impression that he could make anything and it will be a great success in all aspects. 

A Long Last Love, 1975

Critics Raved: "The Big Blopper of 1975....A colossal ego trip that leaves everyone stranded actors and audiences alike" 

His musical attempt proved to get him out of his cocky mind set as it failed on  high levels and people could barely watch and listen to the film. I find it incredible that Peter being a devoted fan of the classics didn't hire actors that could sing/dance and act (maybe even find some new Fred Asatire on the horizon) so the Cole Porter song book could see some justice. Cybill Shepherd (isn't she just irritating, even in Taxi Driver, I cant stand her-clearly, I am not a fan), Burt Reynolds and Madeline Kahn sing around 15 Cole Porter songs in this musical, me being a fan of Cole Porter it's all just mean that they would downgrade Mr. Porters fab music, since when could Burt Reynolds and the rest of the gang sing and dance? 

Imagine Peter Bogdanovich was going to star in this picture, instead of Burt, so he could be along side his lover at the time,Cybill. It's a real downer that Peter lost his mojo because his small number of successes are some of my all time favorites.  It's really no wonder why this film made the list.

Cybill shepbard barely makes it through a dance number, at the same time butchering a Cole Porter song.

The Film Myra Breckinridge is "Just About as Funny as a child molester"said one critic for Time Magazine. I haven't personally experienced the film which features Mae West who was an 80 year old woman still pursuing her sex pot image (that's enough to turn anyone away). Today I'm not sure, but this could be considered a cult classic, sounds like a it could be a rave with some audience's today, audiences change. 

The director of this disaster was a relative new comer and completely unprofessional, Michel Sarne, he often sent Raquel welsh the she-man crying in hysterics. The plot concerns  a man having a nightmare, in the nightmare he goes to have a sex change, the doctor is performing the surgery stoned and the man comes out as Raquel Welch  (as the book states, she has yet to show any signs of acting Ability-has she since?). They sing and dance lalala, the man before the sex change dances beside Raquel Walsh =his new self (weird), so I'm guessing it meant to be a inner-outer body experience of sorts?. John Huston appears as a gross old man having a massage. This film was an intended comedy, the critics state it is more of a freak show. It sounds like one film you don't need to watch, it will probably just look hows its described, a distasteful piece of crap and "So TasteLess that it represents some sort of nadir in American cinema... Myra Breckinridge is about as funny as a child molester. It is an insult to intellingence, an affront to sensiblity and an abomination to the eye".... Time Magazine

The films that feature in this book are mix of "gems" that had come out after the Hays code was lifted, and old timers. Parnell (Myrna Loy and Clark Gable's embarrassment, Carole Lombard helped make fun of the film by handing out pamphlets haha) and D.W Griffith's attempt into talkies Abraham Lincoln (which are both famous incredible bombs). 

It also features films that did considerably well at the box office in the time of their releases, but these films are considered by critics as cheap and brainless like Valley of the Dolls (the only raves this film got from critics were for the beautiful Sharon Tate, not for her acting sadly, just for her looks). Even the novel it's based upon is describe as cheap trash. 

The talented Richard Burton made it into this book for 1972s The Assassination of Trotsky is a forgettable film and title.  

One bad film explanation that really made me laugh, to my self, was on Jonathan Livingston The Seagull (1971). oh boy, this is a film to avoid by all accounts. Based on a novel, this film was made on the purposes it would be a huge success because nothing like this had been made before (for good reasons). It concerns real life Seagulls flocking about "talking" to each other, voice overs done by actors who don't mind being degraded . Of course when the seagulls "talk" you can't expect them to move their beck's and thats right they don't. It all seems so ridiculous just swarms of seagulls frolicking about, then these voice overs chat about how they deserve better than their current seagull diets. how sadly funny. Ever since I was a youngster I haven't really taken a liking to the Real life animals having human voice over's (usually the animals want to have a better time of it, Milo and Otis is a great example), its just too absurd stick to animations.

Faye Dunaway made an appearance into the top 50 for a Vittorio De Sica film A place for Lovers. A place for Lovers was a 1969 MGM release that has Faye Dunaway playing a dying woman who seems  too  want to spend her last days in solitude in Italy watching television . She falls for a man she sees on TV and has to meet him and does....

The Critics Raved: "The Most God Awful Piece of Pseudo-romantic slop i've ever seen!...Even a director who had made no movies would have had a hard time making one as bad as this" - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times. 

This book features many of some of the greatest actors, directors and producers at their very embarrassingly worst. Producer Sam Goldwyn using his love for extravagance made The Goldwyn Follies in 1938 , I would love to see this, with hopes I could sit through it.

 Im not sure if this book is still around to buy or not, it was published in 1978 and belonged to my Nana (I've claimed it). 

 The Fifty worst worst films (and how they got that way) is really fun to read for any movie fan.

The Goldwyn Follies, 1938

The Worst Films that made the grade in 1978 

picked by authors:

Harry Medved and Randy Drefuss

   (in alphabetical order):

You see if you click on the links, a number of the films are being appreciated much more and wouldn't come close to being on a worst list today, but there are many more timeless rubbish pieces than there are "alright" films.

What Are Your Thoughts? (its one of my o.c.d traits to provide links to every single film and to provide the year etc lol)

1. Abraham Lincoln (1930 - D.W Griffth)

2. Airport 1975 ( 1976)

3. Alakazam the Great (1960 - Saiyu-ki, Japan)

4. The Ambushers  (1967-Dean Martin)

5. Assassination of Trotsky  (1972-Richard Burton)

6. At Long Last Love    (1975- Peter Bogdanovich)                  

7. The Big Noise (1944-Laurel and Hardy)

8. Boy, Did I Get the Wrong Number (1966-Bob Hope)

9. Bring me to the head of Alfredo Garcia (1974 - Has a 7.5 rating on IMDB)

10. Che!   (1969 - Omar Sharif as CHE Guevara)

11. The Conqueror (1956- A Howard Hughes Production)

12. Daughter of the Jungle  (1949)

13. Dick Tracy Vs. Cueball  (1949)

14. Dondi   (1961- 3.4 rating on IMDB)

15. EEGAH!  (1962- Richard Kiel)               

16. Godzilla Vs the Smog Monster  (1972-Japan)

17. The Goldwyn Follies  (1938-Adolphe Menjou)

18. The Horror of party beach (1964, First Horror Monster Musical-2.2 rating IMDB)

19. Hurry Sundown   (1967-Otto Preminger with Michael Caine)

20. Ivan the Terrible (Parts 1 and 2)  (1944 - 58)

21. Jamaica Inn (1939 - Alfred Hitchcock)

22. Jet Attack!  (1958)

23. Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973)

24.King Richard and The Crusaders (1954)

25. The Last Movie  (1971 - Dennis Hopper)

26. Last Year at Marienbad  (1962-7.9 rating on IMDB)

27. Lost Horizon (1973)

28. Myra Beckinridge  (1970)

29. New Moon (1940 - 7.2 Rating on IMDB)

30. Northwest Mounted Police (1940)

31. The Omen (1976 - 7.6 Rating on IMDB)

32. Parnell (1937)

33. A Place for Lovers (1969, Vittorio De Sica)

34. Return of Sabata (1972)

35. Robot Monster (1953)

36. Santa Claus Conquers The Martians (1964)

37. Say One For Me (1959)

38. Solomon and Sheba (1959- King Vidor with Yul Brenner)

39. Spinout  (1966 - Elvis)

40. The Story Of Man Kind (1957 - Marx Brothers with Hedy Lamarr)

41. Swamp Woman (1955)

42. Swing Your Lady (1938 - Humphrey Bogart does "Comedy")

43. The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)

44. That Hagen Girl (1947-Ronald Reagan with Shirley Temple)

45. Three on a Couch (1966-Janet Leigh)

46. The Trial Of Billy Jack (1974)

47. Trouble Man (1972 - Blacksploitation)

48. Twilight on the Rio Grande (1948)

49. Valley of the Dolls (1967)

50. Zabriskie Point (1970 - Michelangelo Antonioni)

(Footnote: I wrote everything apart from the critics quotes and the chosen list of bad films, nothing has been copied from the books authors)                                               

Top 20 Directors

Idea inspiration from Silents and Talkies (who did a marvelous list of her favorite Actors). I wasn't sure whether to do the greatest film pairings (like Hitch and grant etc) or directors. I'm leaning more toward the directors so that is that. 

The Directors that have made films that when you are watching you never want it to finish because you are enjoying it way too much.., not the films that send you bored stiff and falling asleep, ! Ive felt that only a few times when it comes to the classics because lets be honest when you watch a classic film it will undoubtably be great! 

My top Directors:

1. Billy Wilder - Who else

The Apartment, Sunset Blvd, Double Indemnity, Major and the Minor, The Lost Weekend, Irma La Douce, Love in the Afternoon, Some Like It Hot, Witness for the prosecution, Stalag 17, .I haven't seen his Kiss me stupid yet, its the only thing that I'm skeptical about, its a real shame that he and Peter sellers didn't get on, its funny the film is always popping up on the MGM channel and in dvd stores but i can't get myself to see it. If anyone reads this and has seen it, give me your opinion if its worth watching?

2.  George Cukor - The Master at making "Women's Pictures"

Philadelphia Story, Dinner at Eight, Holiday, The Women, Camille, Many more. He always seemed to be laughing, having a gay old time.  that is the first time i've used the word gay as in happy before, the lingo is finally catching on.

3. Howard Hawks

Bringing Up Baby, Scarface, Ball of Fire, His Girl Friday, Sergeant York, The Big Sleep, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Only Angels have Wings..... Hawks Above Middle, Left Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Right Richard Barthelmess. 

4. Fritz Lang

M, The Big Heat, The Woman in the Window, Metropolis, Fury

Above, Fritz showing how the scene ought to be performed in Metropolis.

5. David Lean

   

Brief  Encounter, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, A Passage to india, Lawrence of Arabia.

6. Alfred Hitchcock

Rebecca, Notorious, The Birds, Psycho, Shadow Of A Doubt, The Trouble With Harry....  many more.

Worst: The Farmers Wife  and Jamaica Inn.

7. Frank Capra

Its A wonderful Life, You Can't Take it With you, The Bitter Tea of General Yen, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, It Happened One Night, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Meet John Doe,  Lost Horizon. 

8. Stanley Kubrick

A clockwork Orange, The Shining, Lolita, Full Metal Jacket, The Killing, Path to Glory, Killer's Kiss, Barry Lyndon....

9. The super cool Jean-Luc Godard

Faves: Vivre Sa Vie, A Bout de souffle.

10. Roman Polanski

The Pianist, Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown, Repulsion....

11. Buster Keaton

Three Ages, The General, One Week, College, Stemboat Bill Jr, Sherlock Jr, Our

Hospitality...

12. Otto Preminger

Where The Sidewalk Ends, Whirlpool, The Anatomy of a Murder, Laura....

13. King Vidor

The Big Parade, The Crowd, The Patsy, The Fountainhead, Show People,   War and Peace, La Boheme, Wild Oranges, Beyond the Forest.

Above On set of Show people with Marion Davies.

14. Tony Richardson

A Taste of Honey, Look Back in Anger, The Charge of The Light Brigade, The Entertainer, The Loneliness of a long Distance Runner, Laughter in the Dark (Above from Left  Richardson,  Rita Tushingham and John Osborne)

15. Ernst Lubitsch

Trouble in Paradise, To Be or Not to Be, Heaven Can Wait, Ninotchka, Die Puppe (The Doll), The shop Around The Corner, Design for Living,....

16. Preston Sturges

The Lady Eve, Palm Beach Story, Sullivans Travels, Unfaithfully Yours....

17. Michelangelo Antonioni

L' avventura, La Notte, BlowUp, L'eclisse.....

18. Joseph L. Mankiewicz 

All About Eve, Letter to Three Wives, The Ghost and Mrs Muir, Suddenly Last Summer, Guys and Dolls, Dragon Wyck, People Will Talk, Sleuth..................

19. Martin Scorsese

The Aviator, Taxi Driver, Gangs of New York, Mean Streets...

20. Stanley Donen

On The Town, + Singin' In The Rain (shared directing credit with Gene Kelly), Funny Face,  Charade, Indiscreet, Two for the Road...above on set of Singin' in the rain: Donald O'Conner, Stanley, Gene Kelly, 

hope you enjoyed the list.