Tcm mark 2

[Johann]

It's a must-see.
A lot more happens than what I said. But it all moves at a very brisk pace.
It may be Cagney's best role. His gangster pictures at Warner brothers are legendary.
He goes for broke in WHITE HEAT, and he's electric, the dynamic focal point.

[Chris Knipp]

Just got a Patreon review from Mike D'Angelo saying Double Indemnity (1944, Billy Wilder) is the greatest film noir ever made. Any views on that?

[Johann]

Yes, I thumbnailed Double Indemnity in my first TCM thread.
It probably is the best noir ever. The dialogue is fantastic.
There are tons of noirs I've never seen, tho.

[Johann]

THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS (1957)



Billy Wilder's interesting film of Charles A. Lindbergh and his history-making trans-Atlantic flight from New York to France in 1927.
James Stewart plays Lindy or "Slim" as he's nicknamed.
The film takes us thru getting financing for the flight and aircraft, all the preparations involved and how other fliers who want to make history suffer setbacks.
Then we get to the momentous takeoff on a wet and muddy runway.
He was off, flying with no navigator, only using dead reckoning.
He flies past the East coast, then Nova Scotia and Newfoundland Canada, then making it to Ireland and Europe.
He was going on very little sleep, and he falls asleep a few times, almost crashing. He also did not account for ice on the wings, which also almost ends in disaster.
When he finally lands in France 200,000 people are waiting to greet him.
In America he had 4 million at his ticker tape parade.
No frills movie- we don't really learn all that much about him.

[Chris Knipp]

Yes, I thumbnailed Double Indemnity in my first TCM thread.
It probably is the best noir ever. The dialogue is fantastic.
There are tons of noirs I've never seen, tho.

Me too. Theoretically I am a great fan of noir, but it's more "neo-noir" that I'm familiar with.

[Chris Knipp]

THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS (1957)



Billy Wilder's interesting film of Charles A. Lindbergh and his history-making trans-Atlantic flight from New York to France in 1927.
James Stewart plays Lindy or "Slim" as he's nicknamed.
The film takes us thru getting financing for the flight and aircraft, all the preparations involved and how other fliers who want to make history suffer setbacks.
Then we get to the momentous takeoff on a wet and muddy runway.
He was off, flying with no navigator, only using dead reckoning.
He flies past the East coast, then Nova Scotia and Newfoundland Canada, then making it to Ireland and Europe.
He was going on very little sleep, and he falls asleep a few times, almost crashing. He also did not account for ice on the wings, which also almost ends in disaster.
When he finally lands in France 200,000 people are waiting to greet him.
In America he had 4 million at his ticker tape parade.
No frills movie- we don't really learn all that much about him.

It may have been expedient not to reveal too much about him, since he was one of America's most prominent Nazi sympathizers.

[Johann]

Was not aware of that.
It hurts to say Stanley Kubrick was also a Nazi sympathizer- he married German aristocracy, was fascinated with Goebbels and famously said "Hitler was right about almost everything".

[Chris Knipp]

Lindy's politics came earlier of course. And for that reason and others were more significant than Kubrick's admiration for the Nazis.
Philip Roth's novel The plot Against America (which however I have not read - yet) deals with Lindburgh

The Plot Against America is a novel by Philip Roth published in 2004. It is an alternative history in which Franklin D. Roosevelt is defeated in the presidential election of 1940 by Charles Lindbergh.
Wikipedia, The Plot Against America

It's a nightmare alternate reality image of a new right-wing, anti-Semitic nation.

[Johann]

LAND OF THE PHARAOHS (1955)



This was a special treat.
Brand newly restored and introduced by Martin Scorsese, I had never heard of this film. Who knew Howard Hawks did a lavish historical epic? This was shot in special cinemascope- very wide and very thin letterboxing. We get to see a *probable* look at how the pyramids were built- with vast manpower.
The film opens with a lulling victory march back to Egypt from battle. There are so many extras in this movie it's staggering, and apparently a few died due to heat exhaustion!
Jack Hawkins is Pharaoh Khufu, and he's good, albeit with a distracting british accent.
He commissions the construction of a pyramid, in exchange for the freedom of the slaves who build it once it's complete. Joan Collins is the scheming Princess who's after his gold once he dies.
They don't make 'em like this anymore, no Sir...

[Chris Knipp]

I can see how you would enjoy it; the spectacle is awesome. I could never stand these Fifties "epics". The pyramid-building crowd scenes and the grandiose sets are remarkable, I'll grant. Silly script, though, and I can't stand intrusive movie music like this has. I wonder how they got all those Egyptian extras to go around nearly naked, since Egyptian Muslim culture forbids nakedness, even in men's locker rooms. This, lacking big names, was a commercial and critical failure. CLEOPATRA in the early Sixties did much better both ways, with Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, despite lots of production problems and delays.
I see William Faulkner worked on LAND OF THE PHARAOHS during his ill-starred period in Hollywood.
"They don't make 'em like this anymore, no Sir..." No, and a good thing, too!
"The film was banned in Egypt on the grounds of "distortion of historical facts.'" -Wikipedia. The last part was made up, I guess.
The Wikipedia article tells how much Scorsese loves this film. He loved film epics. This one stands out for the richness of its detail.

[Johann]

I can see how youu would enjoy it; the spectacle is awesome. The pyramid-building crowd scenes and the grandiose sets are remarkable, I'll grant. Silly script, though This one stands out for the richness of its detail.

All true.
While watching it all I could think of was THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, DeMille's epic and better film. The colors dazzle and the sets are indeed memorable. LAND OF THE PHARAOHS could bore people; I was interested because it was new and Scorsese was praising it. He saw it when it came out in Times square.

[Chris Knipp]

Scorsese's enthusiasm for all sorts of cinema is legendary.

[Johann]

WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966)




Slightly bizarre film about a married couple who get drunk and invite another couple over for company. Revelations spill out and arguments ensue. Real-life married couple Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor are George and Martha, academically connected.
This was a renowned stage play by Edward Albee and I'm not sure how it translates to the screen.
It was a rather tense and uncomfortable watch for me- a couple at each other and another haplessly watching/listening.
Taylor won an Oscar for best actress and Sandy Dennis won for best supporting actress.
Burton lost out to Paul Scofield.

[Chris Knipp]

I reported here recently how thrilling and innovative Edward Albee's play was on Broadway when I saw it in the fall shortly after its premiere at the Billy Rose Theater, October 13, 1962. The original cast featured Uta Hagen as Martha, Arthur Hill as George, Melinda Dillon as Honey and George Grizzard as Nick. It was directed by Alan Schneider. I can assure you it worked stunningly on the stage. The film cast was more star-studded but it doesn't work as well - just a shadow of its brilliant original. This was the same season of Robert Bolt's A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS with a superb actor, Paul Scofield, in the lead. A great time for theater, long gone. Another play originated then I didn't see but had a cool title: STOP THE WORLD, I WANT TO GET OFF.

[Johann]

You witnessed some theatrical history! Excellent.
I thought Burton and Taylor's acting was top notch, but the film was a little strange to me.