William Wyler Blogathon: A poem about "Roman Holiday"

If I tell you that Roman Holiday is one of my favorite movies ever, that would be no news, right?

The name of my blog is Joe Bradley's address in Rome, Via Margutta 51; I made a video tribute; I included it in my list of 8 Classic Movies I can wath over and over; once I "designed" a videogame based on the film; I've made polls about it and asked you what would you do if you were Ann; the other day a friend returned from Europe and brought me this postcard:

THANKS PAMELA :)

Yesterday I watched Roman Holiday for the umpteenth time, trying to find a new angle for this post. I concluded that only a personal approach to this famous movie would be a contribution. So I had the Titanic-sized nerve to write a poem; you know my first language is Spanish, so I hope you can forgive its basic form :)

Ready? Here we go:

ROMAN HOLIDAY

A master craftsman of cinema they called him,
perfect visual stories Wyler would trim;
he went to Italy and shot in black and white,
even when he had Technicolor on his side.

It was about the day in Rome a princess spent,
(no duties, no speeches, no political events)
with a reporter trying to go back to the States
by getting a juicy scoop (he even made a bet!).

Blacklisted and arrested was the talented man,
who wrote the script about the princess Ann;
an Academy Award was announced,
but his name, Dalton Trumbo, was never pronounced.

Finding the main actors was hard:
Cary Grant didn't want the part,
Jean Simmons was unavailable,
Wyler thought she wasn't replaceable!

But a young actress did a screen test;
it shows a smiling girl stylishly dressed,
talking about her background and the war,
this was a presence no one could ignore.

Her name above the title requested Gregory Peck:
and "introducing Audrey Hepburn" it finally said,
her charming interpretation was a success,
it got the golden award and many articles on the press.

And Rome ("by all means, Rome") was beautifully shown,
the Trevi Fountain, the Mouth of Truth, the Pantheon,
the Colosseum, Ponte Sant'Angelo and much more
were captured forever for the public to adore.

The love of the young couple was impossible,
so the way Trumbo and Wyler ended it was responsible:
Joe voluntarily loses his bet and Ann is irremediably gone,
only memories can make them go on.

(Oh, and Ann, Joe was right:
 it was Shelley who wrote the quote you cited that night,
the first time you spent alone with a man,
when you were at Via Margutta 51)

Written for the William Wyler Blogathon, hosted by Richard Finch of The Movie Projector. Please, do yourself a favor and check the other participant's entries.

About Gregory Peck

Source

This post is part of Ruth's celebration of Mr. Peck's birthday, which is on April 5.

I didn't know what to talk about, because Gregory is one of those reliable actors you've always admired, but never really stopped to think about. So, that's exactly what I'm gonna do: I'll try to capture his screen essence through the twelve films I've seen from him. Hope you enjoy this little ride.

Before you throw tomatoes at me, I have to warn you, I haven't seen iconic films like Moby Dick or The Snows of Kilimanjaro. I'm sorry, I know I should.

Well, if you ask me what does Gregory represent for me, that would be confidence. For me, watching Gregory is like finding a secure, normal, down-to-earth refuge (except for Duel in the Sun, which I told in my own words). I'm not only talking about that security that people with great acting abilities project, people that no matter what, you know they're not going to fail or deliver a line in a wrong way. 

His presence on screen was clean and magnetic in a subtle way. If you were lucky to enter a room where Marlon Brando, Laurence Olivier and Gregory Peck were, and you didn't know them, I'm sure you would notice the other two first. But Gregory's presence would grab your attention sooner than later. He always seems to be there, without really trying, standing calmed and unharmed from any force the scripts make him face. Even if you see him suffer or fear in the most helpless way.

So you have his acting abilities and then his subtle but magnetic presence. Add to this that he seemed to be a great guy. I don't know much about his private life, but I've read about what he believed in and what he did for others or said about them; he was a noble person, a good, caring guy. With that, his brilliant (in every sense) screen presence is conformed. 

Should I tell you about his Joe Bradley, the reporter with the little but profound smile that once fell in love with a princess? Oh, how good Gregory is in Roman Holiday. In the outside, making a very prosaic comparison and almost as a side note I would say he's like a fresh, clean, recently washed sweater. And then, I would say he expresses his character's thoughts and changes through looks and nervous smiles; impatient gestures, pauses and silences. 

He's also a good guy in The Big Country, Designing Woman and The Million Pound Note. From the three, of course, I highlight the first. Here this noble guy we know is being pushed to be something else, to prove his strength and fierceness. But his character and Gregory himself were people that loved peace, even when that means violence against yourself, even when that means tough decisions. James McKay ends proving his qualities, but in his own terms, at night, when there's no one else but he and his opponent; no malicious looks, no people laughing at the other's disgraces. Even when he knows he's going to win.

Then you have the films that went a bit far, that showed Gregory the good guy in trouble: films like Spellbound, Beloved Infidel, On the Beach, The Great Sinner. In these movies he either was alcoholic, had a mental problem or carried great issues upon his shoulders. And yet, I don't really relate these characters, he gave each one of them something different, special. His Francis Scott Fitzgeral was an annoying drunk at some points, very different of his Great Sinner or his Cmdr. Dwight Towers.

And then we go even far. His kind screen presence was forced to face terrible menaces, that are more painful to watch because they come from other people. There you have the awesome The Stalking Moon, where he has to escape from a native and save Eva Marie Saint and her mixed-race son; To Kill a Mockingbird, were white men threaten him and his children just because he defends an innocent human being; and Cape Fear, were the previous plots are almost mixed, and he is persecuted by a guy avid of revenge through his family. 

In the three, he's just a human whose life becomes darker while trying to do justice. He's not a tough, super courageous man. He sometimes feels lost. He's not completely fearless, because he loves and cares for others. And that's why, when he raises victoriously, or he just raises and tries to move on, we feel identified. And we care about Gregory Peck.

"Duel in the Sun": In my own words (PART II)

Previously on "Duel in the Sun"

• Tanned Jennifer Jones suffers from a bipolar love: looks in love with Charming Joseph Cotten but goes wild with Bad Gregory Peck.
• Lillian Gish looks fragile.
• Selznick, Vidor and the dozen writers forgot this one was a western.
• Lionel Barrymore always preferred Bad Gregory, but now he exiled Charming Joseph from his ranch
  
• Bad Gregory visited Tanned Jennifer one night. And we literally see lightnings and hear thunders...

Poor Charming Joseph says goodbye to his mom, Fragile Lillian Gish. She's very sad and looks like a little bird. Joseph wants to say goodbye to Jennifer, too. He politely knocks the door.

Silence.

Then Tanned Jennifer asks him to go away.

Then Bad Gregory invites him to come in.

Then another person talks from the inside. A dog barks. A whale...makes its sound. A fourth person laughs...Just kidding. Just the whale...made its sound.

Poor Charming and Lawyer Joseph. He knows what lightnings and thunders and this music mean in a movie. He enters the room. Jennifer cries, Bad Gregory smiles. He politely apologizes for the interruption and walks away.

Jennifer goes after him. She literally says that Bad Gregory is hard to resist and she's trash. Joseph says that's too bad because he loved her and wanted her with him. But he won't forget this night of thunders and lightnings. He goes away, but before leaving the ranch, he politely slaps his brother Gregory.

Some minutes later...Jennifer...I don't know how to describe this scene, see for yourself...

TEST: SCENE COMPREHENSION. In the previous scene... (multiple selections allowed)

Fifth day at her new home (can you believe so much time has passed? Time flies)

Jennifer Jones just freed her wild passion for Bad Gregory. Now she's a big fan of him and every two seconds gives him weird looks and assumes weird poses that according to her acting codes means she's very attracted/but regrets it.

Now she's the one that wants to go to the pond. But when she sees lightnings and thunders approaching she refuses to stay in the storm. She wants to marry Bad Gregory before. They decide they will announce they engagement in a super barbecue Lionel Barrymore is organizing.  

The day of the barbecue

So many things happening.

1. Tanned Jennifer is very happy. She's wearing a pretty white dress. 

2. Lillian Gish is informed that Charming Joseph has become a very successful personality in the city.

3. Bad Gregory is calming down his pops Lionel: he's just fooling around with Jennifer Jones.

Bad Gregory starts dancing with Jennifer Jones. She asks him when are they telling the happy news. And Bad Gregory is all "what happy news? what are you talking about?".

They go to discuss to a little office.

In this little office Jennifer's dreams and hopes are completely shattered. Basically Bad Gregory tells her to stop nagging, he won't marry her, and she can go away if she wants and adds some racist comment

Jennifer Jones leaves. Not really, she goes to the garden. And cries. Then a man approaches. He's a new worker and says that he doesn't really like balls (dances). He looks like an old Joseph Cotten:

Jennifer decides he's a good guy...to make Gregory jealous. So they go back and dance to the techno music while Bad Gregory looks at them (trying to copy their techno moves).

Some days later...

Old Joseph Cotten Look-Alike, the worker, asks Jennifer to marry him. He's really a good guy. He offers her a modest but happy life. She says yes.

More days later...

The Real Charming Joseph Cotten arrives in a train...with his Charming Bride. Some cowboy notifies him of Jennifer's situation: she is going to get marry the worker ...only if Bad Gregory wants to.

Then one day....

Apparently Bad Gregory didn't want to: she shoots Old Joseph Cotten Look-Alike. Now he's an outlaw and a reward is offered for his capture. In the funeral, we can see in Jennifer Jones' eyes she wants revenge.

In the ranch...

Lionel Barrymore is arguing with Lillian Gish. She looks more fragile than ever. They blame each other. He wants Jennifer out; she says she will stay as much as her.*Coughs*

Then in some secret place...

Lionel asks Gregory to stay away for awhile. The situation is serious. He asks his son to take care of himself.

Then in some railroad...

Bad Gregory didn't quite get the message. From the words of his dad he understood: "provoke an accident in the train and make it explode". So he does.

Then he visits Jennifer in the ranch.

In the ranch...

Jennifer is definitely bipolar, she forgot everything about her revenge and wants Gregory back.

The sheriff or someone like that arrives to the ranch asking for Bad Gregory. Lionel doesn't know, Fragile Lillian Gish doesn't know, Jennifer doesn't know...well, she knows that Bad Gregory is hiding behind her door, but she doesn't want to say. 

When he's safe, he decides to go away again to Mexico. She wants to go with him. He doesn't agree: he just want to visit her some nights and nothing more.

Jennifer is being treated like trash (again). But now she takes the pieces of her shattered pride and puts them together. She won't accept this situation anymore, she's a good girl and her pride means a lot to her...she...

Just kidding...she says she won't talk about marriage anymore, that she will be his servant, that she can't love another man...and takes his leg, while he walks, cleaning the floor with her pjs (now she has pajamas)...

PLEASE, TAKE ME WITH YOU, BAD GREGORY!

Bad Gregory kicks her and then almost hits her head with door when he leaves (Jennifer's health: -4). She stays on the cold floor, abandoned.

In Lillian Gish's bedroom...

She's dying. I told you she looked too fragile and delicate.

Lionel is there, and Lillian points out that is the first time he's been there since she tried to abandon him, many years ago. He starts getting angry, while she starts dying in a very silent-film-way. Then he recognizes that everything was his fault and gives a long speech about how much he really loved her...while dying Lillian crawls to his side.


*Dies*

Some days later...

Charming Joseph wants to see her sick mother. The only problem is that she passed away already. Now he talks to Jennifer. He understands everything. He wants to take care of her. With his bride.

In some near town

Charming Joseph Cotten receives a message from Bad Gregory: he's pissed off because he took Jennifer away. If she doesn't go back, he'll be there next morning.

The next morning...

Gregory arrives. He orders Joseph to take a revolver, he will start shooting from a distance anyway.

Joseph doesn't take the revolver and Gregory shoots him from a distance anyway.

*Falls wounded*

(You think that was the most boring DUEL IN THE SUN ever)

Then in front of a fake painting of mountains

Lionel Barrymore recognizes before a friend that Bad Gregory was bad and Charming Joseph was good.

Back in town....

Tanned Jennifer meets the Charming Bride. She realizes Charming Bride is very kind and the perfect wife for Charming Joseph (he's recovering from the attack). She also realizes she had forgotten her revenge. She wants it NOW!

DUEL IN THE SUN!

Tanned Jennifer gets more tanned, because she wants to "meet" Gregory before he crosses the border, so she rides her super horse under the hot sun.

She arrives, and Gregory says hello from the hill...

She shoots him.

She thinks he *died* and kind of regrets it. But he didn't die and starts calling her names. Now she's pissed off again and wants more revenge. She starts climbing the hill and very cleverly stands in a rock in her discrete red skirt.

He shoots her.

She's wounded. Her chest is bleeding. She falls, hitting the dusty rocks (Jennifer's health: -500).

He thinks she *died*. He first smiles but then kind of regrets it. Starts calling her name.

He receives another shot for an answer.
He starts crawling in her direction. Then she starts crawling in his direction to finish her work.

When Jennifer, with her bleeding heart has crawled 70% of the hill (according to Imdb real Jennifer Jones' health: -20). Gregory calls her: he's really dying.

Now Jennifer forgets everything again. She forgets that she was there to kill him. And now she "rushes" by his side.

By the time she reaches Gregory's dying place, she's dying too.

He: Let me hold you
She: Hold me.

They hold and *die*

(Jennifer's health: N/A).

THE END.

"Duel in the sun" (1946): In My Own Words! (PART I)

For those who don't know what "IN MY OWN WORDS!" implies: when I see a movie that's so strange (like The Fountainhead) or bad (like The Garden of Allah), I re-tell it, from beginning to end...in my own words. So obviously there are spoilers ahead.

Well, the other day I was doing a bit of research for my post on Prissy, played by Butterfly McQueen. In her filmography I noticed she worked in a movie called Duel in the sun with this minor cast:

• Gregory Peck
• Joseph Cotten
• Jennifer Jones
• Lionel Barrymore
• Lillian Gish
• Herbert Marshall
• Walter Huston
• Otto Kruger

You know...little people. I thought: "OMG, I need to watch this". And I did, obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this...thing.

So here it goes....DUEL IN THE SUN

David Selznick's usual grandiose titles:

[Epic Music] Ahhh, this is so epic...this the story of Pearl who died young. Ahhh.[/Epic Music]

The place: it doesn't matter. Picture this: cowboys, Herbert Marshall, Indian/Mexican women (Hollywood doesn't care about the differences) on a set.

The people:

a) Really tanned Jennifer Jones aka Pearl. The daughter.

b) Herbert Marshall as a very refined gentleman. The father.

c) Some Indian/Mexican woman dancing wildly and then getting a room with some random guy (obviously). The mother.

Chapter 1. Jennifer becomes an orphan

b) kills c) and then he dies because it's the law. a) is sent to live with her dad's rich ex- girlfriend, Lillian Gish. 

First day at her new home. 

a) is very happy, because she meets Lillian's son, who is very polite and nice and a lawyer and Joseph Cotten (altogether: sighs). Lillian is a very kind lady too (and looks fragile as a little bird) and makes her feel at home and gives her a free tour around the house (like: these are the cows and those, the horses).

But Lionel Barrymore, Lillian's hubby and owner of the ranch, hates Jennifer and doesn't want her there because: 

1. She's the daughter of his wife's ex.

2. Because she's half breed.

3. Because Jennifer Jones is too tanned. 

4. He was tired of being the nice uncle in every movie he made.

When a) thinks that she finished meeting new people...another Lillian's son, Gregory Peck looking super young, arrives in his horse. And when you're thinking how nice Gregory always is...he isn't. HE'S THE BAD GUY! You can tell by the way she looks at a), it's like "I want you with fries on the side". Obviously, Lillian doesn't notice the evil look in her son's eyes.

Anyway, Lillian plays the piano for Jennifer Jones and then she sends her to bed. It's been a long day, but before arriving to her room, Jennifer makes three stops to be:

1. Harassed by Lionel Barrymore ("How did they come to name you Pearl? Couldn't have much eye for color, couldn't they? HAHAHA!")

2. Impressed by Joseph Cotten's good looks and charm and kindness (she looks in love with him).

3. Practically abused by Bad Gregory Peck.

Everything in less than 10 minutes.

Second day at her new home.

Bad Gregory Peck starts showing off his riding skills to impress a). For some reason, she is still talking to him, especially after he gave her a super horse. The only problem is that she doesn't know how to control a horse and she falls (Jennifer's health: -1). And for another reason we don't get, she falls and stays this way:

So obviously Bad Gregory has a super idea: wanna go swimming?. And she's like offended and rides her horse back home yelling "I WON'T, I WON'T" (but we get that someday SHE WILL, SHE WILL).

Joseph Cotten is more puzzled than us, of course. But Jennifer says she doesn't care about Bad Gregory and urges Joseph to go for a walk by the light of the moon (looking in love with him)...while Gregory pretends he's singing and playing the guitar (and you think: "oh, so Gregory and Joseph are gonna be in a DUEL IN THE SUN").

Third day at her new home

Some sweaty cowboys are finishing their work in the ranch. Jennifer decided to go swimming by herself, but for some reason we don't get she makes herself very visible. 

Because she couldn't ride behind the hill, right?

One of the cowboys notices her riding to the pond and alerts Bad Gregory. He arrives to the pond and sees naked Jennifer swimming (you could sell bathing suits and become a millionaire). Annoying Gregory stays there, watching.

And that's basically how the third day is spent: Jennifer can't come out all naked, even if she's very tanned.

Finally, she arrives all wet to dinner, furious and very late. Delicate and fragile Lillian Gish politely asks if she went swimming with Gregory and she says no. Bad Gregory enters and is all: "oh, what fun we had swimming, etc etc".

Awkward.

Lillian is shocked.

Later that night.

Lillian invited a priest to talk to Jennifer. Apparently, she didn't like to use a proper pjs (you could sell pajamas and become a millionaire). The priest doesn't seem to mind that fact. 

He says some words to save her soul and gives her a medallion. Lillian is relieved.

Fourth day at her new home.

Selznick, King Vidor and the dozen writers they had working in the script, remembered this one was a western and introduced some random action: some guys wanted to build a railroad in Lionel Barrymore's land and he goes riding with like 1,345,567,597,400 of his workers to stop them. 

Joseph Cotten is against this fight and he agrees with the train people. Then the army arrives and the dispute is over. Lionel Barrymore always preferred Bad Gregory Peck, but now he just hates Joseph Cotten: he can't live in his ranch anymore.

That night. 

We see Jenifer Jones washing the floor in her room. Bad Gregory Peck arrives with his evil face. He has the worst intentions. And she doesn't fight anymore. Quite the opposite really.

[Lightings and thunders on the background.]

And then...

To be continued...here.

The Stalking Moon (1968): awesome film!

Starring the always solid Gregory Peck & Eva Marie Saint, this movie could have been Part II of The Searchers if John Wayne & handsome Jeffrey Hunter hadn't rescued Natalie Wood.

Yeah because in The Stalking Moon (Robert Mulligan; 1968) super cool army scout Gregory Peck decides to give Eva Marie Saint and her child a (horse) lift.

But Eva was found living in an Indian tribe and she has a mixed-race son, so after the army..."dispersed" the tribe, she's completely lost. And what Greg doesn't know is that the father of the child is a super Indian that wants to recover his son at any cost.

Seriously, the movie poster is not kidding, he's like a ninja merged with a samurai mixed with Harry Potter using the invisibility cape: you just are able to follow his blood trail. He even killed a poor innocent horse (the one of the lift). And he's coming after Gregory and company.

The not-horror-films that present enemies as a powerful, omnipotent, nightmarish force always fascinate me. Remember the bad guys sent to kill Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid? After being chased and chased by some dark figures on horses, a worried Paul Newman asks Robert Redford "Who are those guys?".

Not knowing who's the enemy, but the range of his rage (cacophony!) is one of the things that makes The Stalking Moon so engaging. The movie never loses tension and it's very well developed: even in the final confrontation you don't really know how the movie is going to end.

The other, engaging aspect is, of course, the question I asked in this film too: will poor Eva Marie Saint be able to start a new life and be happy? With Gregory? Yeah, because he decided to protect her and invited her to live in his ranch.

There are great secondary characters like a neat mixed-race scout (Robert Forster) that admires Greg and tries to help him. The scenery is also very beautiful when they reach the ranch (cacophony!)...before that it was just dust and sun. Mountains, pines and lovely streams suggest that Greg, Eva and the kid could be very happy there if they hadn't such an enemy following them.

Now the moral question: who is right in this movie and who's wrong? My dad thought the Indian had all the rights to take his kid back; but I thought the child was the product of a kidnapping, so the guy couldn't possibly have any "rights".

What do you think? Have you seen this movie? If you haven't, don't believe in Imdb ratings, but my film review: The Stalking Moon is awesome, a real classic in my books :)

Bonus track: the movie trailer.

Good genes: Errol, Gregory & Grace.

I saw a great movie...twice this week, but I haven't written the review yet. In the meantime, I wanted to share these...I don't know, family trees of pretty people? I had published them early this year on Tumblr, but I know most of you didn't see them:

ETHAN GREGORY PECK. Original Post on Tumblr

ANDREA CASIRAGHI, Original Post on Tumblr

SEAN & LUKE FLYNN. Original Post on Tumblr

Note: Luke Flynn is son of Arnella Flynn. 

Tell me, WHAT are you thinking?

Why I love "Beloved Infidel" (1959)

Last night I saw (again) Beloved Infidel (1959; Henry King), this time with my mom. While I re-watched it I thought about why I like it so much, when it's not a very popular movie (Imdb users give it a 5.9). Plus it's about the relationship between Francis Scott Fitzgerald and Hollywood columnist Sheilah Graham, which should make me very bitter, since I've read some books about Scott and his wife, Zelda. 

Scott and Sheilah.

The Hollywood version of the couple.

I love it, first, because of the cast.

Gregory Peck and Deborah Kerr are superb as Scott and Sheilah. He, making so palpable the dichotomy between a sober person, in this case, a supportive, understanding and kind Scott and a drunk person. Drunk Scott is sometimes very annoying, and talks and talks and can be even funny. Drunk people sometimes are. But then he can be a violent, hurtful man, a man that has lost all the social filters and can't restrain himself. Gregory is so great at both.

And she, starting the movie as her elegant, witty characters. My mom thought I had chosen An affair to remember again. At the beginning, Sheilah Graham is a British reporter recently arrived to the States that --according to herself-- has many contacts with noblemen and the royalty. Is a woman that writes what she thinks about Hollywood actors and criticize them.

But when she meets Scott, all the masquerade melts and it's so touching, so human the way it does. This is one of my favorite scenes and contains a really powerful performance from both actors:

Heartbreaking, don't you guys think? 

Another thing I love from this movie, is the attention to the details in terms of the gestures and common little actions one makes everyday. Deborah passes some sheets and a pen to Gregory, so he can make some corrections. He starts writing a bit uncomfortable because he has no support for the sheets, so Deborah passes him a magazine, so he can write over it. You know, small things that make the performance more human. 

Deborah was great a little gestures. Sometimes she reinforces what she's saying with a little smile or a wink. Or she nods playfully. Gregory too, I noticed yesterday, that for example, when he was evaluating the idea of going to Malibu, he had his arms crossed and he drummed with his fingers against his ribs. It was a small gesture, that maybe audience wouldn't notice, but it meant that Gregory was really thinking in what his character was feeling.

Eddie Albert, as Bob Carter (a character based on Robert Benchley, friend of Scott) brings logic to the whole drama: he advices Scott and explains things to Sheilah. I tried to recognize him as photographer Irving Radovich from Roman Holiday, but six years after, he looked totally different. 

Watching this movie, you go like in a roller coaster. When Sheilah and Scott meet, things go fine for both: he's working in some scripts for Hollywood, earning money to support his mentally ill wife and their daughter. And she is enjoying her success. Their relationship is fun and constructive.

The script contains so many little scenes that are fun/interesting to watch, like their visit to a small book shop in which the owner gives Scott some hope about his decadent career or when Scott offers Sheilah to make a list of books to read together. So it's painful to watch how Scott is dragged to hell and how he tries to overcome his problems.

I know there are a lot of cheesy aspects in this Hollywood version of the story, especially the combination of the main song and the beach scenes, the main song and most of the romantic scenes...plus the score is very intrusive at some points. BUT they can be totally overlooked in my opinion. And the main song by itself is not that bad.

If you haven't seen this because of the reviews, give it an opportunity. Greg and Deb's performances deserve it.

Deborah & Sheilah.

I only have one doubt: have any of you read Sheilah Graham's book? I wish I could, it must be great, even when I don't really like the gossip columnist job she did.

On a side note, it's so, so sad to know the real background of this story the way it ended for the official Fitzgeralds. Zelda dying in a fire in a mental hospital. Her letters to Scott were so profound and beautiful, I'll transcribe some of them for you one of these days. 

 I'd love to know your opinion about this movie.

The ten most handsome men from Classic Movies

...according to moi, of course. OK, here's the thing: some stars like Marlon Brando and James Dean are beautiful, obviously, but there's something about them that doesn't appeal to me. Maybe is the "rebel label", I don't know. To me, Robert Mitchum is more handsome because I feel that he attitude is more natural and real, not staged. I also tried to add some lesser known actors, just because they looked drop dead gorgeous in the one film I saw from them. Oh, I had to leave out people like Clark Gable and Laurence Olivier, sorry.

 Well, enjoy:

10. Robert Mitchum. He was just neat.

9. Gregory Peck.  A kind man.

8. John Justin. Looked gorgeous in The Thief of Bagdad. 

7. Burt Lancaster.  Great acting and physical skills.

6. William Holden. Beautiful man, great actor.

5. Jeffrey Hunter (The Searchers). Just saw him in 1 movie, never forgot him.

4. Cary Grant. A combination of looks and attitude.

3. Errol Flynn. The most beautiful rascal ever.

2. Paul Newman. For those who think he was mostly eyes.

1. Gary Cooper. Could he be more gorgeous?

What do you think? Oh, do you want more beautiful pics? Check Gary Cooper: Mercy or Good Genes.

 More lists :

Top 25 favorite classic actors
10 types of annoying people to watch a movie with
My Top 10 Billy Wilder movies
12 favorite things from It's a wonderful life including the board game

Classic Films Video Game adaptations: designing "Roman Holiday"

You know that the video games industry is getting more money than the movies. That's why now the studios are spending so much money creating games related with the films; the actors are participating and giving their voices to the animated characters and the games even have their own soundtracks. So, I was wondering why nobody has created games based on Classic films. One I'd love to play is "Roman Holiday". Here's how it could be:

Video sequence 1 (all the video sequences are clips from the movie): the tiring life of a princess

Stage 1: Escaping from palace.

Playing with Princess Ann, you have to go from your room to a truck parked outside. Remember there's people keeping watch on you, so don't let them see you. Oh, collect the items on your way out.

Video sequence 2: the ride on the truck

Mini game 1: Card Game

Help Joe Bradley to win money playing cards. 

Video sequence 3: Joe and Ann meet. 

Stage 2: Going to Via Margutta 51

Playing with Joe, lead groggy Princess Ann to your apartment before she falls asleep.

Video sequence 4: Joe realizes the girl is the Princess.

Mini game 2: Getting the story

Playing with Joe Bradley, convince your boss of giving you the opportunity to write the story by answering his questions correctly.

Video sequence 5: Ann says goodbye. 

Stage 3: Visiting the Market

Playing with Princess Ann, visit the market. The goal is getting a pair of roman sandals by trading items in the different stands, starting with a free item.

Video sequence 6: Ann enters to the hairdressing salon.

Mini game 3: A new hairdo

Cut Princess Ann's hair following a pattern on screen.

Video sequence 7: Joe invites Ann to visit Rome. 

Stage 4: The motorcycle ride 

Help Ann and Joe to drive a motorcycle in the crowded streets of Rome. If you hit people you have to start all over again. Collect items on the road.

Video sequence 8: At the police station 

Mini Game 4: The Police

Get rid of the police by answering their questions correctly.

Video sequence 9:  The Mouth of truth

Stage 5: The best shots

Playing with Irving, Joe's friend, try to take the same pictures shown on the screen of Princess Ann in the different places she and Joe visit. Be careful, if she notices you, the game is over!

Video sequence 10:  Joe and Ann arrive to the dance

Mini Game 5: At the dance

Help Joe and Ann to complete a dance by pressing the controller buttons shown on the screen.

Video sequence 11:  a detective wants to take Ann with him

Stage 6: Getting rid of the detectives

Playing with Joe and Ann, get rid of the detectives before they got you. Punch them or hit them with elements like guitars. 

Video sequence 12:  Running.

Stage 7: Escaping from the detectives

Playing with Joe and Ann run following the map on the screen. Reach the river and swim.

Video sequence 13: the kiss. 

Ending of the game: If you didn't collect all the items in the different stages you see the ending sequence of the movie. If you collected all the items, you can see a brand new happy ending,  digitally created for this game :)

What do you think? Would you buy it? (or would you let your children play it?) Or you just don't give a duck-billed platypus's ass about games? ^_^

Adventure movies or what I'll be watching in the next few days

So today I went to the last session of the Movie Genres seminar I was attending on Saturdays. The genre we reviewed today was previously chosen by vote and even when the competition was fierce, my option, ADVENTURE, won. Yay! I really wanted to know more about this genre since I just liked it because I love Errol Flynn's movies.

It was really cool to discover new exciting titles that I'm planing to watch and review very soon. Here are some of them:

→ Tarzan the Ape Man (1932; W.S. Van Dyke)
Of course I knew about this one, but it never caught my attention. Anyway, knowing that Johnny Weissmuller was Olympic medal winner swimmer and that even Clark Gable was one of the options to play Tarzan, was all I needed to really wanting to see it. Plus the scene we saw was very exciting, with crocodiles AND hippos trying to eat Maureen O'Sullivan and her people. I'll try to watch the 6 starring Johnny and Maureen.

→ The Thief of Bagdad (1924 and 1940)
I really never heard of this one before. Douglas Fairbanks stars in the one from the twenties playing a thief (that's all I know about it), but the one from the 40's was directed by Alexander Korda and Indian actor Sabu plays the thief Abu and John Justin (never heard of him before but he was gorgeous) plays the Prince that has to rescue the princess from Jaffar. Oh, there's a genius too and a flying carpet. Disney's Aladdin anyone?

→ Moby Dick (1956)
The famous book by Herman Melville, directed by John Huston and starring Gregory Peck. The end.

→ Les tribulations d‘un chinois en Chine (1965)
Based on a book by Jules Verne and directed by Philippe de Broca this is really an adventure comedy set on the Himalayas and the clip we saw was hilarious because of the dialogs and the situations.

→ Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977)
This is the one that I liked the less, but I'm gonna watch it because:
a) Ray Harryhausen's motion picture effects (they look really outdated in this one but it seems that his work was brilliant and everybody admire him and even in Pixar's Monster Inc. a restaurant is called like him as an homage)
b) John Wayne's son, Patrick, plays Sinbad and Tyrone Power's daughter, Taryn, plays the daughter of an old alchemist, thank you very much.

→The man who would be king (1975)
Three names: Sean Connery, Michael Caine, John Huston. The director wanted to do this movie like all his life, and even wanted Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart to play the leads. Anyway, it's based in a book by Rudyard Kipling, and it's about two English soldiers in an ancient place where Connery is taken as a divinity. Disney's Road to El Dorado?

→White Hunter, Black Heart (1990; Clint Eastwood)
I'm watching this one just because it tells the story behind John Huston wanting to shoot a movie in Africa ("The African Queen"). It seems that what he really wanted was to hunt elephants.There are characters that are supposed to be Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Katharine Hepburn, so I really want to see how that came out, even when the film ends before they start shooting "The African Queen".

Of course more movies were named today. I already saw some of them, like "The African Queen" or "Around the world in 60 days" and I won't see Bernard Herzog's movies like "Aguirre The Wrath of God" or "Fitzcarraldo" because they give me the creeps. 

Gregory Peck: "Can't help lovin' that man"

Gregory Peck
Song: "Can't help lovin' that man" by Julie London.

I've been preparing a post this week for which I need to watch and rewatch several movies, that's why I didn't update before. About the song: the music was composed by Jerome Kern and the lyrics were written by Oscar Hammerstein II for the play Show Boat. In the movie version from 1936 Irene Dunne dances to it while Helen Morgan and Hattie McDaniel sing it, and later, Ava Gardner was dubbed by Annete Warren even when her own voice was great. Oh, and I didn't mean that Greg was "lazy" or "slow" :) 

More Photo[graphs] + Music:

• Marlene Dietrich: "It's here for you"
• Burt & Ava: "In the mood"
• Coolest.pic.ever: Errol Fever
• Clark & Carole: "Tea for two"
• Cary Grant: "When or where"
• Desilu: "That Sunday, that Summer"
• Errol & Olivia: "Magic Moments"
• Paul & Joanne: "Twist and Shout"
• Gary Cooper: "Mercy"