Classic cinema - thoughts and questions
- Thread starter Forostar
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Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Another oldie died:
Ernest Borgnine. You might recognize his face, from a TV serie or film you might seen.
Ernest Borgnine, Oscar-Winning Actor, Dies at 95
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/09/movies/ernest-borgnine-tough-but-tender-actor-is-dead-at-95.html
Ernest Borgnine. You might recognize his face, from a TV serie or film you might seen.
Ernest Borgnine, Oscar-Winning Actor, Dies at 95
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/09/movies/ernest-borgnine-tough-but-tender-actor-is-dead-at-95.html
Crimson Idol
Caveman
I didn't realise quite how old Borgnine was 
Not seen him in too much I'll admit but he was certainly recognisable.
Not seen him in too much I'll admit but he was certainly recognisable.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Weird coincidental moments:
-Yesterday (Friday 13th) I started watching the film Compulsion from 1959. I saw that this film was produced by Richard D. Zanuck.
-Today I found out that Richard D. Zanuck died, Yesterday!
-And now I found out that Compulsion was the first film he produced.
-Yesterday (Friday 13th) I started watching the film Compulsion from 1959. I saw that this film was produced by Richard D. Zanuck.
-Today I found out that Richard D. Zanuck died, Yesterday!
-And now I found out that Compulsion was the first film he produced.
national acrobat
Ancient Mariner
The BFI is doing something about Hitchcock at the moment, and in the papers today there was a section giving a short review of each of his films.
Something interesting which I never knew is that the song Que Sera Sera was actually written for The Man Who Knew Too Much (remake); I'd assumed it was just used in the film. I saw that film maybe about 6 months ago, and put the original out to re-watch so I could compare them, but never got around to it. Something to do soon so I don't forget what the remake is like, otherwise I'll need to watch both again!
Staying with Hitchcock, I saw Lifeboat fairly recently. Not I film I'd really heard of, but nonetheless it was excellent.
Something interesting which I never knew is that the song Que Sera Sera was actually written for The Man Who Knew Too Much (remake); I'd assumed it was just used in the film. I saw that film maybe about 6 months ago, and put the original out to re-watch so I could compare them, but never got around to it. Something to do soon so I don't forget what the remake is like, otherwise I'll need to watch both again!
Staying with Hitchcock, I saw Lifeboat fairly recently. Not I film I'd really heard of, but nonetheless it was excellent.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Interesting, didn't know that either.
And I love Lifeboat. Very well made.
And another coincidence: Yesterday we saw the main actress from Lifeboat, Tallulah Bankhead, in the British suspense horror Fanatic (1965) (in the US titled as Die! Die! My Darling!). Pretty good suspense! We even thought Hitchcock might have been inspired by this film, when making Marnie.
And I love Lifeboat. Very well made.
And another coincidence: Yesterday we saw the main actress from Lifeboat, Tallulah Bankhead, in the British suspense horror Fanatic (1965) (in the US titled as Die! Die! My Darling!). Pretty good suspense! We even thought Hitchcock might have been inspired by this film, when making Marnie.
Travis The Dragon
AFTERGLOW!!!
My 2 most favorites of all time are "Laurel and Hardy" and "I Love Lucy". I know "3 Stooges" are pretty popular, but they never did much for me. What are some of yours?
Rotam
Night and day I scan horizon, sea and sky
"Laurel and Hardy" are classics. I think i watched them quite before Chaplin, at my grandfather's house. I remember of one particulary movie that i kept watching all the time: they were moving a piano in some high steps and the piano was coming down everytime. So they tried to do it a lot of times... hilarious.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Great news bearfan! Thanks! Perhaps she was one of the weaker Hitch actresses but I can't remember her being so bad (or worse) in Marnie. Perhaps you didn't like the behaviour of the character (which is not easy to act).
But she had problems with Hitch during the shooting, so it might have affected her performance.
I am especially looking forward to the Hitchcock film with Hopkins. The making of Psycho! Sounds excellent.
But she had problems with Hitch during the shooting, so it might have affected her performance.
I am especially looking forward to the Hitchcock film with Hopkins. The making of Psycho! Sounds excellent.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
It has been some time since I watched Marnie, I always thought her performance took me out of the movie a few times. Honestly, I do not think Connery was all that great in it either. It is still a good movie, but compared to the movies Hitchcock released before, it was a bit of a let down to me ... it just seemed "off" to me and I have always thought Hedren was the main reason. I may have to watch it again (it has been 10 years at least since I saw it last).
Crimson Idol
Caveman
That... is... ... wtf?
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
I was aware of the John Wayne film. I haven't seen it but apart from being a critical and commercial failure (often ranked as one of the worst films of the 1950s and one of the worst ever), this film has a real horror story going along with it: (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conqueror_(film)#Cancer_controversy )
The exterior scenes were shot on location near St. George, Utah, 137 miles (220 km) downwind of the United States government's Nevada Test Site. In 1953, extensive above-ground nuclear weapons testing occurred at the test site, as part of Operation Upshot-Knothole. The cast and crew spent many difficult weeks on location, and in addition Hughes later shipped 60 tons of dirt back to Hollywood in order to match the Utah terrain and lend verisimilitude to studio re-shoots. The filmmakers knew about the nuclear tests but the federal government reassured residents that the tests caused no hazard to public health.
Director Dick Powell died of cancer in January 1963, seven years after the film's release. Pedro Armendáriz was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 1960, and committed suicide in 1963 after he learned his condition had become terminal. Hayward, Wayne, and Moorehead all died of cancer in the 1970s. Cast member actor John Hoyt died of lung cancer in 1991. Skeptics point to other factors such as the wide use of tobacco — Wayne and Moorehead in particular were heavy smokers. The cast and crew totaled 220 people. By 1981, 91 of them had developed some form of cancer and 46 had died of the disease. Several of Wayne and Hayward's relatives also had cancer scares as well after visiting the set. Michael Wayne developed skin cancer, his brother Patrick had a benign tumor removed from his breast and Hayward's son Tim Barker had a benign tumor removed from his mouth.
Dr. Robert Pendleton, professor of biology at the University of Utah, stated, "With these numbers, this case could qualify as an epidemic. The connection between fallout radiation and cancer in individual cases has been practically impossible to prove conclusively. But in a group this size you'd expect only 30-some cancers to develop. With 91, I think the tie-in to their exposure on the set of The Conqueror would hold up in a court of law." Indeed, several cast and crew members, as well as relatives of those who died, considered suing the government for negligence, claiming it knew more about the hazards in the area than it let on.
The exterior scenes were shot on location near St. George, Utah, 137 miles (220 km) downwind of the United States government's Nevada Test Site. In 1953, extensive above-ground nuclear weapons testing occurred at the test site, as part of Operation Upshot-Knothole. The cast and crew spent many difficult weeks on location, and in addition Hughes later shipped 60 tons of dirt back to Hollywood in order to match the Utah terrain and lend verisimilitude to studio re-shoots. The filmmakers knew about the nuclear tests but the federal government reassured residents that the tests caused no hazard to public health.
Director Dick Powell died of cancer in January 1963, seven years after the film's release. Pedro Armendáriz was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 1960, and committed suicide in 1963 after he learned his condition had become terminal. Hayward, Wayne, and Moorehead all died of cancer in the 1970s. Cast member actor John Hoyt died of lung cancer in 1991. Skeptics point to other factors such as the wide use of tobacco — Wayne and Moorehead in particular were heavy smokers. The cast and crew totaled 220 people. By 1981, 91 of them had developed some form of cancer and 46 had died of the disease. Several of Wayne and Hayward's relatives also had cancer scares as well after visiting the set. Michael Wayne developed skin cancer, his brother Patrick had a benign tumor removed from his breast and Hayward's son Tim Barker had a benign tumor removed from his mouth.
Dr. Robert Pendleton, professor of biology at the University of Utah, stated, "With these numbers, this case could qualify as an epidemic. The connection between fallout radiation and cancer in individual cases has been practically impossible to prove conclusively. But in a group this size you'd expect only 30-some cancers to develop. With 91, I think the tie-in to their exposure on the set of The Conqueror would hold up in a court of law." Indeed, several cast and crew members, as well as relatives of those who died, considered suing the government for negligence, claiming it knew more about the hazards in the area than it let on.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
I'd certainly call that a classic! Nice initiative.
Recently I saw to seventies films featuring a young Harrison Ford, directed by Francis Ford Coppola:
Apocalypse Now (1979)
The Conversation (1974)
Ford had more screentime and a more important roll in the older film. I was especially impressed by The Conversation. Fantastic thriller. A sudden plot change at the end!
Recently I saw to seventies films featuring a young Harrison Ford, directed by Francis Ford Coppola:
Apocalypse Now (1979)
The Conversation (1974)
Ford had more screentime and a more important roll in the older film. I was especially impressed by The Conversation. Fantastic thriller. A sudden plot change at the end!