Favorite Films (lists up to participating site members)

[Steadmund Brand]

Great post!! I assume you like city for conquest too!

Ya know, I have to say I have never seen City Of Conquest...I have wanted too as I know it's also an early Anthony Quinn film.. I am a big Quinn fan as well.. and if you are reccomending it then I will bump it to the top of my list....see thats what I love about this thread... I hope others get ideas for films to watch as well... I love sharing this stuff!!


Steadmund Brand

[RockySullivan]

Ya know, I have to say I have never seen City Of Conquest...I have wanted too as I know it's also an early Anthony Quinn film.. I am a big Quinn fan as well.. and if you are reccomending it then I will bump it to the top of my list....see thats what I love about this thread... I hope others get ideas for films to watch as well... I love sharing this stuff!!


Steadmund Brand

It's cheesy not that great certainly nothing like picture snatcher or winner take all but cagney is a boxer so the fighting scenes are good. I think it's like 1940 and I'm just not into the 40s cag flix. He comes back strong with white heat n kiss tomorrow in the 50s

[Mayerling]

It's cheesy not that great certainly nothing like picture snatcher or winner take all but cagney is a boxer so the fighting scenes are good. I think it's like 1940 and I'm just not into the 40s cag flix. He comes back strong with white heat n kiss tomorrow in the 50s

I saw it and it is a good film. Early Ann Sheridan film, but also early Arthur Kennedy as well (oddly enough he is the brother of a boxer - Cagney - here but also a boxer, as opposed to his later appearance in "Champion" where he is Kirk Douglas's brother, but not a boxer). Also interesting because Elia Kazan had an acting role in it as a "nice guy" gangster (a movie trend of the time that Cagney himself frequently filled - see "Angels With Dirty Faces" and "The Roaring Twenties").

Jeff

[GUT]

G'day Jeff

Which Gallipoli

There have been a few, and I imagine with the 100th anniversary about 8 weeks away maybe a few more, or will they be like Rusty Crowe and think up some new names.

[RockySullivan]

I saw it and it is a good film. Early Ann Sheridan film, but also early Arthur Kennedy as well (oddly enough he is the brother of a boxer - Cagney - here but also a boxer, as opposed to his later appearance in "Champion" where he is Kirk Douglas's brother, but not a boxer). Also interesting because Elia Kazan had an acting role in it as a "nice guy" gangster (a movie trend of the time that Cagney himself frequently filled - see "Angels With Dirty Faces" and "The Roaring Twenties").

Jeff

I like it too mayerling but it's not one I can watch everyday like the precodes. Anrhony Quinn has some fresh patent leather kicks in the dance contest. I should watch it again it's been awhile. I have to correct myself because white heat is 49. I like KTG better a bit even though white heat is amazing. KGT has down subtle nuisances that make the film and it's got Barbara Peyton which is cool

[Mayerling]

G'day Jeff

Which Gallipoli

There have been a few, and I imagine with the 100th anniversary about 8 weeks away maybe a few more, or will they be like Rusty Crowe and think up some new names.

G'day GUT,

The one I meant was the one with Mel Gibson, which has some really heartbreaking final moments (the commanding officer writing a farewell letter to his wife while listening to his victrola; Gibson trying to stop the suicidal attack by racing to the front but arriving late). It was a slowly building film, but the climax packed a wallop if a downer resulted.

Jeff

[GUT]

The 1981 version, it was good

I think it was one of Mel's first Films, I know he started work on Mad Max as soon as he finished NIDA and then I'm pretty sure Gallipoli was next up.

[Paddy Goose]

Das Boot

Das Boot was a good one. About a submarine crew

[Steadmund Brand]

I was just posting on the favorite fictional detective thread and thought I would bring the same question here if i may....

"I was wondering, based just on the films of these characters which are your favorite.... The Bulldog Drummond films of the 30's-50's (I have to admit, I never saw the silent films.. even though I am a huge silent film fan, and the two 60's films I didn't care for), The Boston Blackie films of the 40's, or the Charlie Chan films of the 30's and 40's, I picked those 3 as they are the ones with the most films ( I believe) outside of Holmes....all are dated but fun, I am a fan of all 3, but curious to see what others think.....I know many people HATE the films.. but I take them for what they are.. low budget Hollywood B- films... which often are the most remembered films of the era, and the most creative ( as being a B Picture the studios were not breathing down the necks of the directors so they tended to have more freedom...nothing kills creativity more than money men who think they know better than anyone else)"

So what do you think, Bulldog Drummond, Boston Blackie or Charlie Chan films... or any other non Sherlock Holmes detective series you can think of? and if you know these films what do you think of them?

Steadmund Brand

[Mayerling]

I was just posting on the favorite fictional detective thread and thought I would bring the same question here if i may....

"I was wondering, based just on the films of these characters which are your favorite.... The Bulldog Drummond films of the 30's-50's (I have to admit, I never saw the silent films.. even though I am a huge silent film fan, and the two 60's films I didn't care for), The Boston Blackie films of the 40's, or the Charlie Chan films of the 30's and 40's, I picked those 3 as they are the ones with the most films ( I believe) outside of Holmes....all are dated but fun, I am a fan of all 3, but curious to see what others think.....I know many people HATE the films.. but I take them for what they are.. low budget Hollywood B- films... which often are the most remembered films of the era, and the most creative ( as being a B Picture the studios were not breathing down the necks of the directors so they tended to have more freedom...nothing kills creativity more than money men who think they know better than anyone else)"

So what do you think, Bulldog Drummond, Boston Blackie or Charlie Chan films... or any other non Sherlock Holmes detective series you can think of? and if you know these films what do you think of them?

Steadmund Brand

Hi Steadmund,

The "Thin Man" Series of course, and earlier the various "Philo Vance" series (with William Powell and Basil Rathbone as Vance in several). The Peter Lorre "Mr. Moto" Series. Warner Baxter did "The Crime Doctor" (Dr. Ordway) Series. Boris Karloff played a Chinese Detective in a trio of films in the 1930s.

It was an easier time to get away with the racial switching. Oland, Toler, and Winters as Mr. Chan - no matter how good as performers - were not Chinese, nor was Karloff, nor Lorre a Japanese (and the "Moto" series) suffered from a second blow due to history - the series, based on stories by John P. Marquand, was popular in the late 1930s and into 1940. But after December 7, 1941 they were doomed. Interestingly they were never revived (as far as I know) in the 1960s. By that time, even though Peter Lorre was too old, they could have had an Asian actor in the role (I'm tempted to suggest James Shigeta or Pat Morita later on as a good new "Moto"). The next actor to essay any detective part was Jack Soo as Det. Yamana on "Barney Miller". Kheigh Dheigh (the memorable Chinese Agent and villain "Wo Fat" on the original "Hawaii Five - O") actually was in a television movie (a pilot that failed to succeed) as the ancient Chinese Judge - Detective Judge Dee. It might have been an interesting series here.

My favorite Japanese actor, Toshira Mifune, is usually associated with Kurasawa's medieval Japanese films, "Yojimbo", "The Seven Samurai", "Rashoman". The latter actually is a mystery - we still can't tell who killed the aristocrat (the bandit, his wife, himself, an unknown fourth person). Mifune did a wonderful modern detective story film "High and Low" with Kurasawa that more Westerners ought to seek out and watch, involving a diabolically cruel kidnap scheme directed at Mifune's family, which comes a - cropper - but Mifune is still pressured by the police and his intimates to cave into the kidnapper's demands (though technically he does not have to). The film as procedural and character study was superb, and the concluding minutes of final confrontation in a death house shattering.

Jeff

[Steadmund Brand]

oh the Thin Man series was wonderful, and I believe the Karloff series you mean is James Lee Wong (Mr Wong Detective, the Mystery of Mr. Wong and Mr Wong in Chinatown) he also plaed Fu Manchu and in West of Shanghai Wu Yen Fang....

And I also forgot about the Peter Lorre Mr Motto films ( which I must admit I love)

Also thank you for the info on High and Low, I know that I wioll be looking for this film now!!!!

Steadmund Brand

[Steadmund Brand]

Last night while flipping channels and The Madness Of King George was on...A film I have seen many times, but not in years, so I said I'll watch a few minutes...which of course turned into the entire film.....and once again I am left speechless by the performance of Nigel Hawthorne in that film......and I got angry all over again how he was not given the Oscar for that.. but it was given to Hanks for Forrest Gump... As I have said.. I like Hanks, no offence, but ANYONE could have played Gump exactly the way he did.. there was NOTHING special about his performance... Hawthorne on the other hand gave what I feel was one of the greatest screen performances in history.. who cares that Gump was a hit and nobody saw Madness...I thought the award was for performance....but then again....everyone knows how I feel about the Oscars by now... ok rant over

by the way.. anyone who has not seen the film really should... fantastic movie!!!

Steadmund Brand

[Mayerling]

Last night while flipping channels and The Madness Of King George was on...A film I have seen many times, but not in years, so I said I'll watch a few minutes...which of course turned into the entire film.....and once again I am left speechless by the performance of Nigel Hawthorne in that film......and I got angry all over again how he was not given the Oscar for that.. but it was given to Hanks for Forrest Gump... As I have said.. I like Hanks, no offence, but ANYONE could have played Gump exactly the way he did.. there was NOTHING special about his performance... Hawthorne on the other hand gave what I feel was one of the greatest screen performances in history.. who cares that Gump was a hit and nobody saw Madness...I thought the award was for performance....but then again....everyone knows how I feel about the Oscars by now... ok rant over

by the way.. anyone who has not seen the film really should... fantastic movie!!!

Steadmund Brand

It is a good performance Steadmund, and I did love the movie - the only film with anyone playing George and making the King sympathetic. Note the moment he is considering with deep regret the loss of the colonies and their resources - and commenting about the endless forests. Hawthorne and the script writers showed the King did have an intelligence. But he was difficult in even the best times, and so was the Prince of Wales (Rupert Everett I believe). There is a brief moment when Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger, and his opposition leader Charles James Fox, happen to be momentarily alone after witnessing a hissy fit of sorts throne by the Prince, and Pitt in a quiet voice says something like, "Maybe our American relatives had the right idea about getting rid of the monarchy." Fox doesn't say anything, but his facial expression momentarily shows sympathy.

Jeff

[Steadmund Brand]

It is a good performance Steadmund, and I did love the movie - the only film with anyone playing George and making the King sympathetic. Note the moment he is considering with deep regret the loss of the colonies and their resources - and commenting about the endless forests. Hawthorne and the script writers showed the King did have an intelligence. But he was difficult in even the best times, and so was the Prince of Wales (Rupert Everett I believe). There is a brief moment when Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger, and his opposition leader Charles James Fox, happen to be momentarily alone after witnessing a hissy fit of sorts throne by the Prince, and Pitt in a quiet voice says something like, "Maybe our American relatives had the right idea about getting rid of the monarchy." Fox doesn't say anything, but his facial expression momentarily shows sympathy.

Jeff

It's wild when an actor is so good he can make non-sympathetic characters sympathetic....Hawthorne did it in Madness.. to a greater degree Anthony Hopkins almost pulled it off as Hitler in The Bunker.....now that's talent!!!

Maybe we should come up with a list where an actor/actress make a non-sympathetic character sympathetic....Madness of King George and The Bunker will start my list... anyone have any to add... I do hope so, I would love to see more examples of this

Steadmund Brand

[Robert]

Hi Stead

Well, without having recourse to Shakespeare : Orson Welles in The Third Man.