Favorite Films (lists up to participating site members)

[Aldebaran]

This Casebook forum reminds me of a film that I like very much and have watched several times. It is Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" with Joseph Cotton and Teresa Wright. This is where the life of an ordinary American family is disrupted by the arrival of "Uncle Charlie", whom the daughter of the house suspects is not a very nice guy. In the evenings, the father of the family loves to engage in a running discussion with his somewhat off-kilter neighbor, a young man. Both love mysteries and criminal cases, obviously, and are debating the best way to do away with one another--and get away with it. A very enjoyable movie and very well done, of course.

[Mayerling]

This Casebook forum reminds me of a film that I like very much and have watched several times. It is Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" with Joseph Cotton and Teresa Wright. This is where the life of an ordinary American family is disrupted by the arrival of "Uncle Charlie", whom the daughter of the house suspects is not a very nice guy. In the evenings, the father of the family loves to engage in a running discussion with his somewhat off-kilter neighbor, a young man. Both love mysteries and criminal cases, obviously, and are debating the best way to do away with one another--and get away with it. A very enjoyable movie and very well done, of course.

The conversations are between Teresa Wright's father, Henry Travers*, and the neighbor, Hume Cronym. Among other things they suggest are poisoned mushrooms (Cronym to Travers) and strangulation (Travers to Cronym). Cotton, who is a fugitive - possibly involved in a string of wife murders - listens with some bemused feelings to these conversations.

The screenplay for this (Hitchcock's personal favorite of his American films) was by Thornton Wilder ("Our Town", "The Skin of Our Teeth", "The Matchmaker" (basis for "Hello Dolly!"), and "The Bridge of San Luis Rey").

[*A versatile character actor ("The Invisible Man","On Borrowed Time", "Mrs. Minifer", "Ball of Fire"), Travers is best recalled playing the loveable angel-apprentice seeking his wings, Clarence, in "It's A Wonderful Life", which netted him his only Academy Award nomination.]

Jeff

[Mayerling]

One Hundred Birthday this month!

The Turner Classic Network named Olivia De Haviland the "Star of the Month", and as of last Friday started showing her films. Ms De Haviland, who lives in Paris these days, is the oldest living Oscar winning actress (and best actress), having won two Oscars in the 1940s for "To Each His Own" and "The Heiress". She just turned 100 years old last week. So I thought I'd make a list of her films that are memorable.

1) The Heiress
2) To Each His Own
3) Hold Back the Dawn (her second Oscar nominated role)
4) Gone With The Wind (her first Oscar nominated role)
5) Captain Blood (first film with Errol Flynn)
6) The Adventures of Robin Hood
7) Santa Fe Trail
8) Dodge City
9) The Private Affairs of Elizabeth and Essex (a.k.a. Elizabeth the Queen)
10) They Died With Their Shoes On
11) The Snake-Pit
12) A Midsummer's Night's Dream
13) Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte

Jeff

[GUT]

The Turner Classic Network named Olivia De Haviland the "Star of the Month", and as of last Friday started showing her films. Ms De Haviland, who lives in Paris these days, is the oldest living Oscar winning actress (and best actress), having won two Oscars in the 1940s for "To Each His Own" and "The Heiress". She just turned 100 years old last week. So I thought I'd make a list of her films that are memorable.

1) The Heiress
2) To Each His Own
3) Hold Back the Dawn (her second Oscar nominated role)
4) Gone With The Wind (her first Oscar nominated role)
5) Captain Blood (first film with Errol Flynn)
6) The Adventures of Robin Hood
7) Santa Fe Trail
8) Dodge City
9) The Private Affairs of Elizabeth and Essex (a.k.a. Elizabeth the Queen)
10) They Died With Their Shoes On
11) The Snake-Pit
12) A Midsummer's Night's Dream
13) Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte

Jeff

Thanks Jeff didn't realise she had turned the big 1-0-0 amazing life.

[Mayerling]

Thanks Jeff didn't realise she had turned the big 1-0-0 amazing life.

It is an interesting thing when a performer reaches such an age milestone by itself, GUT. The last one to do so (another two time Oscar winner, sadly now deceased) was Luise Reiner ("The Great Ziegfeld", "The Good Earth") who died at 102 about three years back. But also or interest is that Ms De Haviland is the oldest survivor (or sole survivor) of the leads in several movie classics. She is the last major star from "Gone With The WInd", for example, and (due to the death of Mickey Rooney two years ago, when he was in his early nineties), the last of the leads in the 1935 Warner Brothers "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (Rooney was "Puck" in that film, which is memorable because James Cagney played the role of "Bottom" - Dick Powell, one of the quartet of young lovers in it, later said he hated playing his part, because he could not understand most of what his Elizabethan English dialog meant; still he gave a good performance).

Jeff

[GUT]

All you movie nuts, know where the first feature film was made I presume?

[Robert]

Hi Jeff

Died with their shoes on?

[DJA]

All you movie nuts, know where the first feature film was made I presume?

Melbourne

[mucher1]

I re-watched "Shadow of a Doubt" the other day, and noticed something funny in the opening scene. The bills on the floor are not US currency, but Mexican one Peso bills, just like this one:

http://www.cdncoin.com/product-p/400165973.htm

[Mayerling]

All you movie nuts, know where the first feature film was made I presume?

In your neck of the woods GUT - it was "The Story of the Kelly Gang". Unfortunately only about 2/3 of the total survives (about forty minutes).

A crime drama, it is about Ned and his friends - not about poor Mary.

Jeff

[Mayerling]

Hi Jeff

Hi Robert,

Died with their shoes on?

Err, "Boots". Caught on that one.

Jeff

[DJA]

In your neck of the woods GUT - it was "The Story of the Kelly Gang". Unfortunately only about 2/3 of the total survives (about forty minutes).

A crime drama, it is about Ned and his friends - not about poor Mary.

Jeff

About 17 minutes survives.
Largely filmed in Heidelberg,Melbourne.

Burke Road Bridge on the border where I went swimming as a child.
Photo taken ~ 21 years after the movie.
Links malfunctioning. Just Google "Burke Road Bridge".

http://digital.slv.vic.gov.au/view/action/nmets.do?DOCCHOICE=84730.xml&dvs=1468172460643~737&locale=en_US&search_terms=&adjacency=&VIEWER_URL=/view/action/nmets.do?&DELIVERY_RULE_ID=4&divType=&usePid1=true&usePid2=true

This is a bridge in Gut's neck of the woods

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Sydney_Harbour_Bridge_from_Circular_Quay.jpg

"They Died With Their Boots On" co starred an Australian.

One of the earliest Academy Award winners was filmed on which North Queensland island?

[Mayerling]

About 17 minutes survives.
Largely filmed in Heidelberg,Melbourne.

Burke Road Bridge on the border where I went swimming as a child.
Photo taken ~ 21 years after the movie.
Links malfunctioning. Just Google "Burke Road Bridge".

"They Died With Their Boots On" co starred an Australian.

One of the earliest Academy Award winners was filmed on which North Queensland island?

The Australian (specifically Tasmanian) was also an early portrayer of what famous mutineer?

Jeff

[DJA]

The Australian (specifically Tasmanian) was also an early portrayer of what famous mutineer?

Jeff

GUT and I will leave that up to others.
Interesting documentary with very modern ramifications.

[DJA]

"The Square Peg" had a good cast.

Which one is credited with introducing Errol Flynn to acting?

Edit: Crikey Honor Blackman is 90!