Tcm

[Johann]

FORT APACHE (1948)


4 films in, and I'm getting more and more in awe of John Ford.
This is another "calvary" film, his first, actually. Henry Fonda plays Lt./Col. Owen Thursday, an officer who clashes with Capt. York, played by John Wayne.
Thursday is posted to Fort Apache, an outpost near the Mexican border.
He leads his regiment against Indians in historic battles, and the first encounter is an exhilerating sequence.
John Ford really knew how to capture men on horses, whether they be American soldiers or roving bands of indians...
Shirley Temple plays Philadelphia, Thursday's daughter, who falls for an Irish officer O'Rourke, son of NCO Ward Bond.
This creates a compelling sub-plot/dynamic, and by the end Love triumphs.
When this movie started I wasn't sure if I'd like it but I was soon won over. That's because of John Ford.
No one makes westerns of this caliber. NO ONE.

[Chris Knipp]

You're very lucky to be getting this seemingly forced intro to a fest of his films. I know he is one of the American classics but have little direct knowledge. But I'm happy to drink deeply of the French - seeing and writing about Jean-Pierre Melville's WHEN YOU READ THIS LETTER, which I've never seen before and is rarely seen.

[Johann]

MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (1946)


Henry Fonda plays Wyatt Earp, the famous Marshall from Dodge City turned catttleman.
He and his brothers Morgan and Virgil go into the town of Tombstone to get a shave.
The barbershop gets shot up by a really drunk Indian, and Wyatt can't believe that the Marshall isn't doing anything about it.
So he steps up and does something, and is offered the job. He turns it down, but later accepts.
He encounters Doc Holliday, a sick man who basically runs the town, Marshall or no Marshall...
The Earp brothers lose James (shot in the back), and later Virgil gets killed too, leading to the famous
gunfight at the O.K. Corral.


John Ford actually knew Wyatt Earp, who visited Ford's movie sets in the 1920's.
The movie alters history slightly, all in the name of compelling cinema.
This is a classic kick-ass western.
See it. It's one of John Ford's best.

[Johann]

You're very lucky to be getting this seemingly forced intro to a fest of his films

Lucky indeed.
7 films in one day, and I'm a richer cinephile for it...
Ford is a special director-the CARE he takes is so evident- his mythologizing of the Old West is fantastic.

[Johann]

THE SEARCHERS (1956)



John Ford's most famous western, and probably his best.
John Wayne is Ethan Edwards who embarks on an epic search and rescue for his two nieces.
One he finds dead, the other he finds is a captive of the Comanche indians (Natalie Wood).
Co-starring Jeffrey Hunter, Ward Bond, Harry Carey, Jr. and even John Wayne's son Patrick.

Hugely influential, it wasn't well received on release. (Much like Kubrick's films).
It's now recognized as the classic it is, like One-Eyed Jacks.
I love the cinematography and vivid color of this film- very pleasing to the eye.
Some may think it's overlong, with "climax after climax", but I say it's an epic western, period.
Enjoy it as such, with some "Frontier Whiskey", if you can find some...

[Johann]

STAGECOACH (1939)



9 stagecoach passengers travel from "Tonto" to "Lordsburg" and have a helluva trip.
John Wayne gets picked up along the way- he's "The Ringo Kid"- and he's promptly arrested.
The famous indian Geronimo is on the warpath, and when Apaches attack the coach the movie gets really exciting.
There's a dishonest bank manager, a baby gets born, there's romance with "Dallas", there's a drunk doctor and other assorted characters.
I found the acting to be not very good, but John Ford's direction more than made up for it.
Thumbs up for Stagecoach.

[Johann]

JOHN PAUL JONES (1959)



This is a rarely seen film, and a Great one.
Directed by Mia Farrow's father, this is a fairly lavish production. Historically, it's fairly accurate too.
You got George Washington, John Hancock, Ben Franklin and Bette Davis as Catherine the great.
I was eagerly anticipating seeing this, and I wasn't disappointed. Robert Stack plays Jones, a stern & stoic Naval Commander
who's responsible for giving the USA flag respect from Europe.
I WAS a little surprised to NOT see the Serapis, the flag that I thought was the ORIGINAL U.S. flag...Instead, we got the 13-starred banner
that looks like the current U.S. flag. The sequence of battle with the sinking of the bon Homme Richard was great.
I loved the costumes, and couldn't help but be reminded of Kubrick's Barry Lyndon, a similar period epic.

This needs a re-mastered proper DVD release PRONTO.

[Johann]

I'm in the process of re-locating, so this thread is on hiatus until I'm settled.
I am a TCM addict, so I'll keep it going once I've got my cable package sorted out.
Thanks for reading and LET'S MOVIE!

[Chris Knipp]

Good luck with your relocation and rehabilitation.

[Johann]

Thanks Chris, so far so good...

[Chris Knipp]

I admire your fortitude.

[Johann]

Cable package is installed, so it's back to TCM!


I missed that channel. I just saw the following films:

December 7th: the movie- propaganda film never-before seen by Gregg Toland (Citizen Kane cameraman) and John Ford. I learned a lot about the Japanese, who numbered 157,000 on Hawaii when Pearl Harbour happened.

Spartacus- my least-favorite Kubrick. It's a solid epic.

Les Girls- cheeky Gene Kelly musical. I actually enjoyed it.

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)- the best screen version in my view. Charles Laughton is awesome in it. Clark Gable isn't too shabby either.

The Sea Hawk- rousing Errol Flynn action film. Quality stuff, with an England vs. Spain naval war.

2001: A Space Odyssey- part of "The Essentials" series, Brad Bird was right. 2001 is Hypnotic.

[Johann]

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)



Omar Sharif is Dr. Yuri Zhivago, a physician and poet caught up in love and the October Revolution in Russia.
David Lean directs this epic, with gorgeous cinematography despite the dour/heavy story.
Rod Steiger and Alec Guinness provide stellar support, with Julie Christie playing Lara, his forbidden love.

Yuri goes through hell, while simply trying to live.
This is a long movie (over 3 hours with an intermission) so give yourself time to take it all in.
I loved seeing Klaus Kinski in an early role, "the only free man on this train..."
I also loved the lilting balalaika music, which you hear throughout the picture.
A must-see.
It's David Lean, Mang!!

[Johann]

FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956)


A classic sci-fi film, full of nostalgia.
I thoroughly enjoyed Fred M. Wilcox's Forbidden Planet, a futuristic 50's movie that surprisingly holds up.
You can see the inspiration for Star Trek here; from prototype transporter to "United Planets" cruiser ship to tri-corders, phasers and fleet uniforms.
Leslie Neilsen is the skipper, Commander Adam. He's the template for Captain James T. Kirk, stoic, brave, and contends with the opposite sex...

The mission is to a silent planet, where Dr. Morbius (Walter Pigeon) and his beautiful daughter reside.
With considerable assistance from "ROBBY THE ROBOT" they survive in the face of a nuclear monster.
I love how 50's sci-fi culture was captured onscreen- they really tried to make something here- the SFX still hold up.
This was the 2001 of it's day, and it gets a big thumbs up from me.

[Johann]

ONE MILLION YEARS B.C.



This plays like an episode of Star Trek without any Starfleet crew members.

Ray Harryhausen did the special effects, which for 1966 were outstanding.
Dinosaurs, giant lizards & spiders and an exploding volcano "climax" are the thrills, aside from a scantily clad Raquel Welch.
Pre-historic man surely wasn't so sexy...This is primarily a visual movie, with hardly any dialogue- only one word utterances.
I'm not sure I'd watch this one again- it holds little interest for me.
I was curious to see it only because Kubrick used a scene from it in A Clockwork Orange; the shots where falling rocks and stones rain down on the cavemen during the eruption.
No clue why Stanley chose to use it, other than it was in the Warner vault.
There's a scene with man-apes in a cave that may have been inspiration for 2001.
I can't say I recommend it, but I also won't say don't see it. Movies are meant to be watched!