Classic actors' last lines on film (part one?)

The screenwriter didn't know that he or she was redacting what would end being the last lines spoken by a Classic Star in a motion picture. That's a powerful thought.

I collected some of my favorite actors' last moments, in which I consider to be the first of a series of posts (fingers crossed). I included only their last proper films, because some of them did unfindable TV series or TV movies at the end of their careers. 

Carole Lombard: To be or not to be (1942)
I like the fact that her last scene and line is playful and cheerful. She's a festive bully.

REPORTER: And you, Mr. Tura. You played the real hero in this amazing play.
JOSEF: I did my best and I was very ably assisted by my colleagues. Thank you, my friends, for everything you did. As little as it may have been.
REPORTER: I am sure England will want to show its gratitude. What do you desire most, Mr. Tura?
JOSEF: Well, l--
MARIA: He wants to play Hamlet.
JOSEF: After all, we are in the country of William Shakespeare--
MARIA: He wants to play Hamlet.

Clark Gable & Marilyn Monroe: The misfits (1961)
I like the fact Marilyn last completed film is intense and well-acted. She deserved it I guess. I like their lines, they're trascendental and powerful. 

GAY: Well, I'm finished with it. It's... It's like ropin' a dream now. Just gotta find another way to be alive, that's all. If there is one any more. Perce, cut that mare loose for me, will you?
PERCE: Sure.
GAY (to Roslyn): Drive you back, if you want.
PERCE: Um, I'm pleased to have met you, Roslyn.
ROSLYN: Don't get hurt any more, will you, Perce?
GAY: See you around, Guido.
GUIDO: Where'll you be? Polishin' windshields? Makin' change in a supermarket? Try the Laundromat! They need a fella there to load the machines! Gay!
ROSLYN: I'll leave tomorrow. OK?
GAY: I bless you, girl.
ROSLYN: Gay, if there could be one person in the world...a child who could be brave from the beginning...I was scared to when you asked me. But I'm not so much now. Are you?
GAY: No.
ROSLYN: How do you find your way back in the dark?
GAY: Just head for that big star straight on. The highway's under it. It'll take us right home.

THE NEXT DIALOG = SPOILER (you've been warned )

Gary Cooper: The Naked Edge (1961)
This movie is very good and little known! I wrote about it in case you're interested. And I think that it's great that Gary's last film is a thriller, because it expanded his range of genres and allows you to see him in a very suffocating atmosphere, alongside Miss Kerr.

GEORGE: I was so sure it was Heath. I've condemned the wrong man.
MARTHA: So did I.

Vivien Leigh: Ship of fools (1965)
Ah, Vivien, intense and dramatic till the end.

MARY (to herself): Baby, you just haven't managed to grow up. Mrs. Treadwell of Murray Hill, Virginia. Now! You can paint your toenails green.You know how it ends, don't you? Alone. Sitting in a cafe with a paid escort.
(She cries. Tenny enters the room and kisses her)
MARY: Let me go. Let me go.
TENNY: Mrs. Treadwell. Excuse me. That greaser told me Cabin 14. Excuse me. Excuse me.
MARY: Get out! Get out! Get out!
TENNY: You know l'm sorry, l truly am sorry. l didn't know it l was just..
MARY: Pig!
(Mary starts hitting Tenny)
TENNY: Hey, what the hell?
MARY: Go on. Get out. Get out. Get out! Get out! Beast. Beast. Get out. Get out. No! No!

Bette Davis: Wicked stepmother (1989)
Uhm, I had never heard of this movie before. It seems that it's awful, but I like the novel line, very Bette-ish :) Seems that her voice can be heard after this scene, but it's her actual last physical appearance.

MIRANDA: I was reading a sexy novel.
JENNY: Hey Miranda, don't try any tricks. You can't hide it now. Inspection! I saw it. I saw it in here!
MIRANDA: You saw what?
JENNY: I looked at the window. Got you there!
MIRANDA: Jenny needs help. Boy, it's a terrible affliction.
JENNY: There was a cat in here, I can tell it: my upper lip it's still itching. I now what you did with it! You threw it out the window! Here kitty, kitty, kitty. Meow. I'm going to search every inch of this room.
(Door bell rings)
MIRANDA: Who do you suppose that is?
MAN: You woke up one of the neighbors.
MIRANDA: Priscilla.
MAN: Priscilla who?
MIRANDA: My daughter, Priscilla. She has come to visit.
JENNY: No.
MIRANDA: I wrote to her and asked her to come. You are going to love her.
(Magically disappears).

Audrey Hepburn: Always (1989)
Audrey played God in her last film. There is nothing else to add.

PETE: What do you want from me, Hap? If I'm really dead, how come I hurt so bad? What kind of deal is this? You said I was going back to be an inspiration. You never said I would feel what I'm feeling. You didn't tell me that I would...see Dorinda. What do you really want from me?
HAP: We gave you a chance to say: "I'm glad I lived. I'm glad I was alive. Now it's my turn to give you a hand. Let me give you what I had." But I also sent you back to settle with the one you love. I sent you back to say goodbye. Until you do that, she won't be free. And neither will you.
PETE: I'm not ready to say goodbye.
HAP: You're such a good man, Pete. We don't send back the other kind. But you still have to learn that to gain your freedom, you have to give it. So go find out.

Katharine Hepburn: Love affair (1994)
The grandma (Janou/Ginny) scene in these films is always soooo emotive. I like the fact that Katharine was the last granny and that it's a goodbye scene. 

GINNY: Five o'clock. You must go?
TERRY: Yes. May I?
GINNY: Thank you. Thank you. I wore this when I was married.
TERRY: Beautiful.
GINNY: Well, off you go. These petals are supposedly the hands of a Polynesian princess. It's been hanging around for 62 years and it's still holding together. I wish I could say the same for myself.
MIKE: We'll see you soon.

What was your favorite moment? 

The 10 scariest scenes from old movies (I've managed to watch)

Boooooooooooo!!!...did I scare you? No? Bummer, this article explained me that I should.

Anyway, these are the 10 creepiest scenes from the somewhat scary movies I've been able to watch. You know I'm a coward.

10. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane: Joan Crawford gets a yummy lunch, made with lots of love from Bette Davis.

9. Suddenly, Last Summer: Elizabeth Taylor tells how her cousin Sebastian really died [sorry, the clip is not complete...but you know what happened to him]

8. Cape Fear (my review): The family is waiting for criminal Robert Mitchum to attack any minute.

[SCENE]

7. The Devil-Doll: Creepy concept, humans transformed in dolls and used to steal and kill...by Lionel Barrymore in drag.

6. Nosferatu: The whole movie is terribly scary, so I just chose the part when Hutter finds out that Orlok sleeps in a freaking coffin!

5. The Innocents: Deborah Kerr plays hide-and-seek with the creepy children she's in charge of...and someone or something appears on a window...

4. The Fly (my review): OMG, this film. I chose the ending, when the doctor is trapped and asks for help with his tiny voice.

3. Psycho: Anthony Perkin's horrible secret is revealed.

2. Wait until dark: Blind Audrey Hepburn thinks the fight with a sadistic criminal is over... (The moment starts at 01.17 in case you want to skip the explanation...oh, and you can check my stop motion version of this moment)

1. The Night of the Hunter: Robert Mitchum appears inside the house where Lillian Gish is protecting the children...and then he escapes screaming like a wild animal. Or a creature from hell.

(There's no video for this exact scene).

BONUS: My 7-year-old self picked this short film from Disney:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!

Movies seen in 2011 so far: The good, the bad and the so-so

There are a lot of movies I've seen this year but I haven't reviewed. Here's a brief commentary for some of them:

The good:

Well, thanks to ClassicBecky and Lola, I watched White Heat (1949; Raoul Walsh). And girls, you were right, this is simply a terrific movie. James Cagney is memorable as Cody Jarrett, a violent criminal who loves his mommy. The film keeps you intrigued, especially because there's an undercover agent that has to get close to Cody and you really fear of what might happen to him. But you also feel some kind of sympathy for the poor man who suffers of severe headaches. A very well told story, with a great ending.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947; Norman S. McLeod) was the first film from Virginia Mayo and Danny Kaye I ever saw. It was a surprise, a really fun comedy. Danny is a low profile comic artist that can't help daydreaming and seeing himself as a cool guy in different entertaining scenes. Everyone makes fun of him, even his dull fiancée until he becomes involved in very strange and dangerous situation that includes a sophisticated blonde, a bad guy and an unexpected super bad guy. Fun. Oh, Ben Stiller is going to ruin it with a remake.

Ivy (1947; Sam Wood) Great, great movie. The Siren praised it so I had to watch it. It was a super engaging...I don't know, drama? thriller? about a crazy Joan Fontaine that has a husband, a poor lover AND a rich lover. This Joan Fontaine doesn't love her husband; loves the poor lover but loves the rich lover's money even more. That complex. And then she decides a) to kill the husband b) not help the poor lover when he's accused of murder c) wait for the rich lover. But her plans don't go very well because this Joan Fontaine doesn't know how to use an elevator. Great film.

The so-so

Sleep my love (Douglas Sirk; 1948) is like Gaslight but starring Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche AS THE BAD GUY and Robert Cummings. That means that this is about a husband that wants to kill his wife by trying to convince her that she's seeing people that is not really there, going to places she didn't want to go and trying to jump from balconies. Why it isn't good? Well because I expected more from this film and it was a bit messy. Like Claudette meets Robert and like in twenty minutes are BFF and go out together.And because Don exaggerated a bit his performance, it wasn't very subtly like Charles Boyer's. But, it was entertaining anyway.

The golden arrow (1936; Alfred Green) Bette Davis is a rich girl and George Brent is a poor reporter. Bette convinces him to marry her, because she doesn't stand guys around her just because of her fortune (this plan didn't convince me very much). Before they were married they liked each other, then they marry and soon they start fighting because Bette needs to create public controversy, so the name of her company appears in the media. I don't know, some parts seemed too forced to serve the script. Why it isn't bad? Because Bette and George had great chemistry...at the beginning at least.

Doctor in the House (1954; Ralph Thomas) I watched this movie because I wanted to see something from Dick Borgade. It's about medical students and all the shananigans that going to university to become a doctor means. Like buying medical skulls, practicing the recently learned theories on girls, etc. Oh, and what being a doctor really means, etc. I don't know, it was too bland, too circumstantial and not very surprising. Not bad because it has some funny scenes.

The bad

The princess and the pirate (1944; Davis Butler) I have to say that I can understand people that like this kind of movies. I mean, Bob Hope, one liners, crazy scenes, laughing at the movie conventions, etc. I like some parody movies, I discuss the subject a month ago, but I guess this one is more for the boys. Here the female character is just an accessory, IMO. A coward pirate rescues a princess and has to face a furious captain. Stuff the plot with lots of pirates jokes, Virginia Mayo singing, some unconnected scenes, a very stupid ending and you have something to sell. Not my cup of tea.

So, uhm...yes... that's all folks!

Haiku # 14: "All about Eve"

All About Eve (1950)

"Advice: never trust
the girl who tries on your dress
on an empty stage"

This is an entry for the Best For Film Hollywood Haikus blogging competition. Enter now.

Psst..need Classic Hollywood jewelry?

Maybe you'd like to have "Deborah's Opal Affair" ( $170.00) ring from "An affair to remember"...

...or "Vivien's Southern Emerald" earrings ($155.00) from "Gone with the wind"...

...looking for a band? Maybe you'd like "Joan’s Diamond Stackable Band" ($270.00) from "Suspicion"...

Really, hollywoodroyaltycollection.com site is so much fun! They recreate jewelry used by Classic Actresses (and actors) in their films...and each piece is accompanied by interesting descriptions regarding the films and performers. The list includes: Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis, Carole Lombard, Ginger Rogers, Humphrey Bogart, Irene Dunne, Marlene Dietrich, Clark Gable and more!

Some of my favorites:

"Lombard's Champagne Wedding ring" ($145.00) from "Mr. a Mrs. Smith"... 

...and marvelous "Deborah's Pink Diamond Debut" ($150.00) from "The Hucksters"...

So go over there and share your faves with me :)

Day 19- Who’d you like to party it up with in the afterlife

William Powell and Myrna Loy of course (yeah, I'm thinking really in Nick and Nora Charles). And Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz (he would be in charge of the music obviously). I'd invite Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra to sing some of their hits. Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, and Ginger Rogers to show some moves. Oh, oh, and Bette Davis and Joan Crawford :) I would go with Cary Grant so we two will laugh about all the craziness around, while S. Z. Sakall tell us some interesting gossip. Everyone would go —just like in Well, did you Evah? lyrics— "what a swell party this is!". 

Day 11- Team Bette or Team Joan

AAAAAHHH, I finally have time to post again. My schedule is so busy (well, I AM the busy one, not the stupid schedule). Wanna take a look?:

06.50 AM I wake up because my cellphone alarm starts ringing ("Benny Hill" theme).

07.20 AM I actually get up (after Benny Hill sounded like 6 times)

07.40 AM I take the bus (yes, just 20 minutes to get ready)

09.00 AM I arrive to Santiago (our capital, the city where I work) and take the subway.

09.30-45 AM I arrive to the TV station where I'm doing my internship.

19.00 PM I leave the office.

21.00 PM I arrive home.

22.00 PM I go to bed and watch "I love Lucy" episodes (like 4 per day)

00.00 AM  I fall asleep.

As you can see I just don't have time to post (and I like to complain about it).

Anyway, let's get into business. Team Bette or Team Joan?

What? This is like Team Edward and Team Bare-Chested-Wolf, or Team Angelina and Team Aniston...or...I don't remember more teams, but I'm sure there are more.

I think that both were terrific actresses and I respect them both (I mean, I respect their work, because I've read some horrible things about their personal life).  I love "All about Eve" but I also love "Mildred Pierce", so I couldn't choose (well, if you put a gun in my head and make me choose, I'll go for "All about Eve", but you don't have a gun...). Like three weeks ago I saw "Sudden Fear" starring Joan and I enjoyed it very much (if you enjoy watching conspiracy, treachery and people terribly worried because their life is in danger). That last idea didn't fit very well, but I just wanted to recommend that movie.

I know Joan and Bette were almost archenemies, just like Judah Ben-Hur and Messala, or Scar and Mufasa, or God and the Devil, or the Montagues and the Capulets; and they said nice thing to each other like: "The best time I ever had with Joan Crawford was when I pushed her down the stairs in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" or "Bette likes to rant and rave. I just sit and knit. She yelled and I knitted a scarf from Hollywood to Malibu." ...but....I forgot what I was going to say....

Oh, no, I was going to add that their movie together, "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" is great, dark and depressing, but great.

So, wrapping up: a) I have a busy schedule b) I don't like Teams c) I can't choose between these two ladies of the screen...anyway, tomorrow is some religious holiday, so I'm going to be able to post again :)

Today I saw Bette Davis in the subway

Just a quick post to say that the girl was like my age (23) and looked like a young Bette Davis. Had blond hair, the same body built, the same shape of face and most importantly, same eyes (just green),  and the train was so crowded that I was expecting her to say "What a dump!" :)

Classic Hollywod Guide to how to react when you screw up a scene

Don't you love bloopers and outtakes?

I included in this video Bogie, Bette Davis, Carole Lombard, Claudette Colbert, Errol Flynn, Claude Rains, Kay Francis, Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, George Brent, Merle Oberon, Patricia Neal, Mickey Rooney and more. Enjoy!

Coming around again...

...after committing one of the most terrible sins in blogging: not posting in ages (well, it was like a week and a half). Let me start by telling you that —just like Regina Lampert said—I'm not a lady of leisure anymore. I got that good journalism internship offer that I told you about, so I'll be very busy from 9.30 am to 19 pm starting tomorrow and ending in September.

So this is gonna be the last long post that you read in my blog in months (I've planned to answer a survey that will provide me an easy to make post per day for a month). And this last long post it's gonna be very random, since I'm gonna try to cover all the things I didn't wrote about last week. So fasten your seat belts, it's gonna be a bumpy post.

Finished "The secret lives of a princess" by James Spada and I tell you, I wouldn't trade my life for Grace's. I mean, she had an awful family, her father was obsessed with success but never said something nice about her little girl, even when she won an Oscar; her sisters were abusive when she was a kid, and her mother sold stories about Grace to the press! Had lots of famous lovers but couldn't settle down with any of them, mainly because of her family opposition. Loved to act, was great at it, but her studio (when it didn't lend her to others) just gave her stupid parts. Then she marries the Prince —who had a list of possible Hollywood actresses to wed just to improve Monaco image— in a ceremony paid by MGM. She has to suffer all the archaic customs of the palace, but she was prohibited to make another movie, even when Hitch offered a role in "Marnie". The only escape she found was raising her kids the better she could, but the girls turn out to be rebels and had dissipated lives. AND then she died in a car accident. So, no thanks, poor Grace.

This knowledge increased my inner debate about whether is good or not to classic film fans to investigate the private lives of performers and directors. I mean, sometimes you really loved someone's work, but then you read something bad about their behavior, something sad about their lives, or you realize that they beliefs are very very different to your own, and then what was more important —the films— are kind of overshadow to your eyes by this knowledge. Anyway, it doesn't happen to me frequently, one of my cases is Norma Shearer (I've been avoiding watching more of her movies) because I read somewhere that she got the parts mostly because she was married to Irving Thalberg.  And of course, it does happen the other way around, for example, I appreciate the work of Myrna Loy even more since I learned about her fight for human rights. 

Anyway, been reading "People will talk" by John Kobal, and I want to read more of his work. It's like any of us, classic movie lovers, have had the opportunity to sit down and chat with the stars. Loved his interviews with Gloria Swanson, Ingrid Bergman, Mae West and other famous actresses and professionals related to movies. Loved the way he describes the way the stars treated him (like Marlene Dietrich putting him up in her hotel room, since he had traveled a long distance and didn't have a place to stay). Or the way the stars of silent films described their work, so vividly...If you find this book, buy it, I'm loving it.

Well I saw a lot of movies in May, I talk about the most of them in previous mini-reviews. But the last two weeks a saw three great films:

a) I remember mama: Irene Dunne was a great actress. When you see her in this film, you forget who she is, you forget the other roles she played, because she really is the Norwegian immigrant mother. There are some scenes that break your heart, especially when she goes to visit her little girl at the hospital.

b) Witness for the prosecution: I love Billy Wilder, I just had forgotten how much I loved him. My Film Review teacher always said that we should avoid treating the subjects as masters, but he was one. Laughton was terrific, Marlene was terrific, Tyrone Power was great, and Agatha Christie did it again.

c) Three Comrades: Maybe the movie written by Francis Scott Fitzgerald is the weakest of the three, but I liked it very much. Saw it last night and I couldn't sleep well. Saw the scenes over and over in my mind. Robert Taylor is #7 in my top 25 favorite classic actors (someday I'm gonna update and translate that post), and I don't care if his characters are pretty much the same in every movie I've seen him in, I always enjoy his presence on screen. I just had seen Margaret Sullavan in the "Shop around the corner" but her performance is really heartbreaking, her character seem so defenseless, but at the same time strong minded and generous. 

Well, I can't write more, because we're too many in this house using one computer, but let me finish this post with this picture I captured from "Stardust, the Bette Davis story" I saw today. Don't you think that the classic stars can look even more modern than modern actors? I want to see this picture in the next Everlast campaign :) 

Well, see ya tomorrow with the first post of this meme.

April is gone...so the [last] monthly review has come...

[I forgot to add the post title and Blogger took the first line I had to create the url direction...I hate when this happens]

This is the second and last monthly review because I think it's better if I review every movie right after watching it. I saw some films that I didn't include because I'm gonna add them in a complete filmography post I'm preparing. Anyway, April brought great movies to see. Let's go...

Carole was too good for this minor role. Anyway, she married William.

Man of the world (Richard Wallace, 1931)

Who’s in it: Carole Lombard + William Powell

What it's about: a con man falls in love with the nephew of one of the man he defrauded.

The good: William Powell is always attractive, and the movie depends on him; the romantic scenes are fine (they should be, since William and Carole married three months after the movie was released); there’s tension coming from the main character's ex-lover and “co-worker”; the ending was unpredictable.

The bad: Carole’s character was too good, simple and nice for her; saw it yesterday and now I don’t even remember what there was before the ending. 

Should I see it? Only if you are a fan of Powell or Lombard.

IMBD explains: "The title refers to the superstition that if three people light their cigarettes with the same match, the third person will soon die"

Three on a match (Mervyn LeRoy, 1932)

Who’s in it: Joan Blondell + Ann Dvorak + Bette Davis (+ Bogie)

What it's about: the story of three classmate girls, and how their lives change and connect when they grow up.

The good: interesting story, unpredictable switches, and the little boy was so cute; all the actors are fine, Bogie is very young (has few scenes though).

The bad: too melodramatic at some points; the way to show the passage of time was kind overblown and repetitive; Bette’s character seemed to have no life of her own and was a minor force in the movie.

Should I see it? Yes, it’s good overall.

One Edward G. Robinson here...

...and two of them here.

The whole town’s talking (John Ford, 1935)

Who’s in it: Edward G. Robinson + Jean Arthur

What it's about: a modest employee is confused with an awfully bad gangster ...and the latter takes advantage of the situation…

The good: Edward G. Robinson plays the two roles (employee-gangster) magnificently; you really believe they’re two different people; his employee is so kind, and sweet, and Jean is funny as always, loved the scene at the police station in which she starts to blame Mannon of everything, it’s hilarious; the story is unpredictable and interesting.

The bad: Nothing I guess.

Should I see it?: Yes, good movie.

 This belongs to the first tree quarters. 

Small town girl (William A. Wellman, 1936)

Who’s in it: Robert Taylor + Janet Gaynor + Jimmy Stewart

What it's about: A girl from a small town (yes, the small town girl) is sick and tired of her boring life and the dull people that surrounds her so she decides to go away with a young and handsome doctor from a big city…

The good: The first three quarters of the movie are great; Janet Gaynor knew how to play this kind of role, she looked vulnerable but she was also very funny; Robert Taylor is very good with his two sided character: on one hand he’s a despicable and conceited rich kid but on the other he’s a sensible doctor that takes good care of his patients.

The bad: In my opinion the last part is not very well developed, Robert’s character behaves awfully and Janet’s boring admirer (Stewart) proves to have great values, so the ending is kind of weird.

Should I see it? Yes, the first three quarters worth it.  

Alone in the woods. a romantic detail by Wilder and Brackett.

Arise, my love (Mitchell Leisen, 1940)

Who’s in it: Claudette Colbert + Ray Milland

What it's about: Reporter Augusta Nash (Colbert) and soldier Tom Martin (Milland) fall in love…just before World War II begins.

The good: everything; the script by Wilder + Brackett, filled with details, some funny, some emotive, but always interesting; the story is entertaining and captivating; the performances of the leads are delicious.

The bad: Nothing.

Should I see it? Of course.

William & Myrna: great chemistry again.

LOL

I love you again (W.S. Van Dyke, 1940)

Who’s in it: William Powell + Myrna Loy

What it's about: After his head is hit with a boat oar a role-model- man (Powell) recovers his first identity … a con man. The problem is that he's going back to a small town where he's very well known...

The good: The leads have their usual perfect chemistry; William Powell is great, funny and clever as always and his performance is solid; there are a lot of hilarious moment (loved the one with the scouts).

The bad: Loy’s character is kind of subordinated to Powell’s, and this isn’t very frequent in their movies; she doesn’t have many memorable lines.

Should I see it? Yes, it’s funny.  

What a beautiful couple were these two.

That Hamilton woman (Alexander Korda, 1941)

Who’s in it: Vivien Leigh + Laurence Olivier

What it's about: the love story of married Emma Hamilton and married English Naval officer Horatio Nelson.  
The good: the leads are great in their roles, and they (obviously) have chemistry; the story is very dramatic and the tension is very well managed; there are some great scenes.

The bad: the movie ends abruptly.

Should I see it? Yes.  

Seemed to be such a happy couple.

Rex Harrison's eye in detail.

Unfaithfully yours (Preston Sturges, 1948)

Who’s in it: Rex Harrison + Linda Darnell

What it's about: An orchestra director (Harrison) imagines different ways to confront her apparently cheating wife…

The good: the story is very original and unpredictable, Rex is great as the husband and his reactions from denial, to suspicion and then to anger are all good; there’s chemistry between the leads; there are great shots (like the the extreme close-up to Harrison’s eye); the last part is very funny.

The bad: Some scenes were very brutal and exaggerated for my taste and that didn’t seem very funny to me; the end is too fast and brief after all the hypothetical situations.

Should I see it? Yes, just because it’s something unique.  

"Tree"

"Rooster"

Johnny Belinda (Jean Negulesco, 1948)

Who’s in it: Jane Wyman + Lew Ayres + Charles Bickford + Agnes Moorehead

What it's about: a good and nice doctor (Ayres) teaches deaf-mute girl (Wyman) to communicate…but not all the men in town are that good and nice.

The good: everything! the story is so interesting and emotive; the way the show how these two people start communicating is so touching and memorable; the characters are so well played by the leads, Jane Wyman is great as the impaired girl (won Oscar), so vulnerable but at the same time with such a inner strength; Lew Ayres is excellent too; the girl’s dad (Charles Bickford) and her aunt (Agnes Moorehead) change their attitude to the girl in such believable and moving way; the bad guy (Stephen McNally) is really really bad and despicable; the movie is beautifully shot, there are some great countryside scenes. Everything is very well developed. 

The bad: Maybe that there's an unsolved case, but it didn't bother to me.

Should I see it? Saw it twice in two days.

Movies I couldn't finish because I fell asleep:

BO-RING.

Man-Proof (Richard Thorpe, 1938): Starring Myrna Loy as a girl in love with guy that marries another woman (Rosalind Russel in a part that was too simple for her). Zero chemistry, you really don’t understand why she loves him so much; and the scenes are boring and she argues all the time with other guy (obviously she will end with him). The only interesting thing was the personality of her mother, a liberal writer that gave her some advices.

Vulgar and violent.

The bank dick (Edward F. Cline, 1940): I didn’t get the humor of this movie; W.C. Fields’s character was really detestable and all the women seemed to be uneducated and violent. Una Merkel was there too but her character was boring and she didn't shine. I’m blaming this kind of movies for some awful and decadent comedy movies we have today (like Borat, and movies starring Ben Stiller, Mike Myers or Adam Sandler).

Vote for classic actors/sses at Larry King site

Just a brief post to let you know that at Larry King's site you can vote for the top 5 moments in the history of the show...and Marlon, Liz Taylor, Frank Sinatra and hilarious Bette Davis are in the nominees (I know, it's kind of sad to see them that old).

Un breve post para hacerles saber que en el sitio de Larry King pueden votar por el top 5 de mejores momentos en la historia del programa....y Marlon, Liz Taylor, Frank Sinatra y la divertida Bette Davis están entre los nominados (aunque a mí me da pena verlos tan ancianos).

Vote here/Vota aquí