In my defense, I didn't say I didn't like it. I said Maltin gave it 3½ stars; I'd give it 3. That means I think it's a good movie. Just not a great one. But that probably doesn't help my cause, does it? Oh well. After Bucky gets pummeled by Brutus for the second time this season, you'll probably stop talking to me for a while anyway.
C'est la vie.
“The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in the white zone."
Since I've determined that your movie insight is now in question, I shall now turn to others for counseling in this area. As for Saturday night, David and his sling will give a wonderful account of himself. WTF, I just want to stay competitive and give you guys a good scare.
The older I get, the better I was.
The Jean-Pierre Melville directed film of Jean Cocteau's Les Enfants Terribles (1950). Besides being a truly unique story with plenty of great acting and noir filming, this one might be worth a watch for all you Bill Nelson fans out there...
WHOA! Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925) is on TCM tonight. It holds up very well against the color talkie. Some scenes were filmed in two-strip color. The chariot scene is effing epic.
I might just have to watch it, even if it cuts into my night-time politics shows.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
The TCM star of the month for December is Joan Blondell. Hubba, hubba! Every Thursday will be a selection of her movies; her first from 1930 this week through her last (1981, I think) at the end of the month.
Lou
Looking forward to my day in court.
^ This week it's all Pre-Code, too. Va-Va-Va-Voom!
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
Pre-Code Joan Blondell??? I'm in!
I remember when I was a kid seeing some contemporary movie or show and my mom commenting that the actress was Joan Blondell. I wish I could remember what it was. I've looked through her filmography and have no idea what.
But to think when I was a kid I thought she was old and ugly and here I am, 40some years later watching her in movies from the '30s thinking she's hot.
Strange.
“The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in the white zone."
Was that directed by DeMille?
“The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in the white zone."
Nope, it was directed by Fred Niblo, with whom I am not familiar. It didn't begin that way and took like three years to complete. After about a year, it was put on hold and them MGM formed and Irving Thalberg took over and hired a new director and lead actor and turned it into a success that put MGM on the map.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
The older I get, the better I was.
I vaguely recognize the name and I'm not sure why but I'm betting it's because Greta Garbo starred in a couple of his movies.
BTW, did you see on Wikipedia the list of extras used during the chariot race?
John Barrymore
Lionel Barrymore
Joan Crawford
Marion Davies
Douglas Fairbanks
John Gilbert
Dorothy Gish
Lillian Gish
Samuel Goldwyn
Sid Grauman (of Grauman's Chinese Theater)
Harold Lloyd
Carole Lombard
Myrna Loy
Mary Pickford
Bah.
Not that I recall. Here's the list, first proposed in 1927 (and which everyone pretty much ignored):I remember talking about the code a few hundred miles back. Did we list any of the do's and don'ts?
These are the "Don'ts":
Pointed profanity – by either title or lip – this includes the words "God", "Lord", "Jesus", "Christ" (unless they be used reverently in connection with proper religious ceremonies), "hell", "damn", "Gawd", and every other profane and vulgar expression however it may be spelled;
Any licentious or suggestive nudity – in fact or in silhouette; and any lecherous or licentious notice thereof by other characters in the picture;
The illegal traffic in drugs;
Any inference of sex perversion; [this included homosexuality]
White slavery;
Miscegenation;
Sex hygiene and venereal diseases;
Scenes of actual childbirth – in fact or in silhouette;
Children's sex organs;
Ridicule of the clergy;
Willful offense to any nation, race or creed;
And these are the "Be Carefuls":
The use of the flag;
International relations (avoiding picturizing [sic] in an unfavorable light another country's religion, history, institutions, prominent people, and citizenry);
Arson;
The use of firearms;
Theft, robbery, safe-cracking, and dynamiting of trains, mines, buildings, etc. (having in mind the effect which a too-detailed description of these may have upon the moron);
Brutality and possible gruesomeness;
Technique of committing murder by whatever method;
Methods of smuggling;
Third-degree methods; [I guess depictions of police brutality were a no-no]
Actual hangings or electrocutions as legal punishment for crime;
Sympathy for criminals;
Attitude toward public characters and institutions;
Sedition;
Apparent cruelty to children and animals;
Branding of people or animals;
The sale of women, or of a woman selling her virtue;
Rape or attempted rape;
First-night scenes;
Man and woman in bed together;
Deliberate seduction of girls;
The institution of marriage;
Surgical operations;
The use of drugs;
Titles or scenes having to do with law enforcement or law-enforcing officers;
Excessive or lustful kissing, particularly when one character or the other is a "heavy".
Much of this list came from the Catholic Church.
“The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in the white zone."
Another thing they frowned upon was having criminals not ultimately pay for their crimes.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
Hal, Ron, I've heard some of those but how did the Catholic Church get involved? Did the industry ask for their opinions on this?
The older I get, the better I was.
The Catholic Church has been involved in all sorts of stuff like this for probably centuries. They've been condemning and banning books since at least the 19th century, maybe even longer. Probably as long as the printing press was invented. And they had guidelines for what kind of modes could be played/composed going back to at least the Baroque period of music. But it was with the advent of movies and the inclusion of "questionable" material in them that precipitated the formation of the Legion of Decency in 1933. I seem to recall they had some sort of input into the Hays Code list but whether that was them sticking their nose into things or they were invited to participate, I don't know and I don't have the time to research it at the moment.
But mostly the Hays Code was Hollywood censoring themselves to avoid possible regulation by the government.
“The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in the white zone."
Streamed Front Page Woman, another Bette Davis movie, last night on TCM. It's one of those movies that isn't anything special, really, but is fun nonetheless. It's considered a 2½ star movie. I definitely wouldn't give it 3 stars, but it's the most enjoyable 2½ star movie I've ever seen. And because of the light-hearted tone to it, a young Bette comes off quite endearing.
“The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in the white zone."
Re-watched The Letter and I've changed my mind. It's not a 3 star movie. Don't know what I could have been thinking. It's a 2½ star movie at best.
“The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in the white zone."
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