Friday, November 25, 2022
Please Murder Me
- Commentary: Under construction.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Angela Lansbury Myra Leeds Raymond Burr Atty Craig Carlson Dick Foran Joe Leeds John Dehner Dist Atty Ray Willis Lamont Johnson Carl Holt Robert Griffin Lou Kazarian Denver Pyle Det Lt Bradley Russ Thorson Judge Madge Blake Jenny Steve Carruthers Trial Spectator Michael Jeffers Trial Spectator Frank Mills Trial Spectator
You might notice, above in the table of Actors and Roles, that I've included an unusual amount of "trial spectators", all uncredited. This is because I discovered that the ones I've listed were actors with outstanding reputations, already honed through many roles, and yet playing what would be considered "bit parts" in this movie. My guess is that these actors probably wanted the exposure in this movie, which leads me to believe that its quality might be a pleasant surprise.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1956
Directed by by Peter Godfrey.
Labels: angela-lansbury, film-noir3, goflexB, melodramaC
Thursday, August 08, 2019
Gaslight
- Commentary: Of course I was bound to own this movie! I am, after all a self-respecting movie maven-of-sorts. And, of course, it is this version I chose to own. Ingrid Bergman; Angela Lansbury; Charles Boyer; Joseph Cotten. Are you kidding? Is there any other version?!?
This movie is not only a pure delight of a thriller, for me, I love the way it's done. The planning of the contrasts between outside and inside, light and dark, expansive and claustrophobic, are, yes, thrilling for me to watch. Angela Lansbury is a delicious tart. Ingrid Bergman is a surprisingly unshrinking violet. Charles Boyer plays against type so well, it's hard to remember his performances as a romantic male lead.
The main reason I thought to buy it recently is because of the current craze for using the word "gaslight" and its derivatives, especially in news and commentary. When I hear these young ones using it, I chuckle internally. I'm sure a majority of these earnest politicos have no idea of the term's derivation. In fact, when I watch this movie, I often think of my niece, who shares my love of movies (and is an actor) and I partly bought the movie so I would have it the next time she visits because, you know, she's of the generation of people who is tossing this term around and I have a sneaking suspicion she doesn't know where it comes from.
To this day, an utter gem of a movie. And, yes, the site to which I linked the title of this post gives a review of both the 1940 and 1944 movies. Mine is the 1944 version with Ingrid Bergman, although I've wished to see the 1940 one, just out of curiosity.
By the way, I've linked Bergman's name to an article featuring interviews of three people done for Roger Ebert's site in 2015.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Charles Boyer Gregory Anton/Sergis Bauer Ingrid Bergman Paula Alquist Anton Joseph Cotton Brian Cameron Dame May Whitty Bessie Thwaites Angela Lansbury Nancy Oliver Barbara Everest Elizabeth Tompkins Emil Rameau Maestro Guardi Edmund Breon General Huddleston Halliwell Hobbes Mr. Mufflin Heather Thatcher Lady Mildred Dalroy Lawrence Grossmith Lord Freddy Dalroy Jakob Gimpel Pianist
As well, just in case, here's the Wikipedia write up to this particular film.
Release Date: 1944
Directed by George Cukor.
Labels: angela-lansbury, drama3, film-noir1, ingrid-bergman, melodramaA, mystery1, period1, suspense1, thriller1
Monday, July 01, 2019
Mary Poppins Returns
- Commentary: Yep, yep, yep, I bought this movie on a whim when I saw it at Costco (which, by the way, almost never carries movies anymore, unless the movies are theater blockbusters), without consideration, even though my initial reaction to the first Mary Poppins was disappointment (which I wrote about in the review for that movie).
Not disappointed, this time. First of all, I adore Emily Blunt's work and was excited to see her as Mary Poppins. She is, yes, Mary Poppins' (Julie Andrews') improved-edition daughter. Second, I knew that even if I was ambivalent about this one, I would watch it with much nostalgia and would want to buy it. So I didn't bother to check it out of the library (which the length of the hold list promised wouldn't be available to me for at least a couple of months) before purchasing it. Third, I don't know, something about Mom and her enjoyment of the first Mary Poppins movie, something about my sisters and me as kids in Honolulu that summer when we saw the first Mary Poppins, blah, blah, blah ... well, Mary Poppins Returns more than met my expectations. Emily Blunt kills it! The script is, well, it's a "Mary Poppins" script, but it's interesting and the historical timing works with the story. The songs are fun and catchy and, frankly, in my opinion, the musical accompaniment is better, more musically magical, than in the first Mary Poppins movie. I like Jack better in this movie than Bert in the last, but I think that's because it was impossible, in the first, to think of Bert as not-Dick-Van-Dyke. In this movie Jack is just Jack for me. I find it interesting, though, that Bert, who was a jack-of-all-trades (primarily a chimney sweep), is transformed into "Jack" in this sequel. Also, I seem to remember that Bert was more integral to the story than is Jack, but that's one of the reasons I'm planning on watching the 1964 movie again before rewatching this one. Oh, yeah, and the star cameos! Yikes! It seems that everyone wanted to get into this one, including some of the cast for the original Mary Poppins! Hello, Bert ...
I have yet to watch this new one a second time, but I want to watch the original before watching this one again. Just for some comparison fun.
You know, I'd like to see Mary Poppins updated for the 1960's ... can you imagine that? With the music and fashion revolutions that were going on, especially in England, but in the U.S., as well, and, how about an update for the 2000's ... and, say, for every thirty-five to forty years, for every generation, as MCN would say, "Wouldn't that be fun?" I wonder if anyone (with greedy pockets, of course), is considering that ...
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Emily Blunt Mary Poppins Lin-Manuel Miranda Jack Ben Whishaw Michael Banks Emily Mortimer Jane Banks Julie Walters Housekeeper Ellen Pixie Davies Annabel Banks Nathanael Saleh John Banks Joel Dawson Georgie Banks Colin Firth William Wilkins Meryl Streep Topsy David Warner Admiral Boom Jim Norton Mr. Binnacle Jeremy Swift Hamilton Gooding Kobna Holdbrook-Smith Templeton Frye Angela Lansbury Balloon Lady Dick Van Dyke Mr. Dawes Jr.
Just in case, here's the Wikipedia write-up for the movie.
Release Date: 2018
Directed by Rob Marshall.
Labels: angela-lansbury, colin-firth, emily-blunt, emily-mortimer, kids, meryl-streep, musical1, period1, popcorn-and-soda2
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Murder, She Wrote - 1st & 2nd Seasons
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1* *2*
- Commentary: The truth? Occasionally I'll get caught up in one of these episodes, but it is more interesting for me to watch my mother watching this show. Several years ago she used to say that she liked the series even though she "couldn't stand" Angela Lansbury. As she watched, though, she'd forget that the character is played by Ms. Lansbury and immerse herself in the genteel, nosy, forthright, thoughtful amateur detective who is also a mystery writer. I think my mother likes the reverie of believing that J. B. Fletcher is the epitome, not of what the Ancient One life should be but is. So, I watch the show more carefully, now, when I'm so inclined.
Update 2/11/21: No offense to the show, this is now in my county library system. After Mom died, I just didn't think I'd be interested in watching it, anymore. Yes, it's a great portrait of elders, and I'm an elder, now, officially, but, well, she's not a good role model for me, seeing as how I am a natural-born-hermit.
Update 5/25/23: Although I did not include Andy García in the truncated (because I passed this onto my local library system) list of actors and roles, below, I do include him in the labels at the end of this post because he does appear in the pilot episode of this series, which I, at one time, did own.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Angela Lansbury Jessica Fletcher Tom Bosley Sheriff Amos Tupper William Windom Dr. Seth Hazlitt
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1984-1985
Directed by several people, no women.
Labels: andy-garcía, angela-lansbury, mom-favorite2, mystery2, TV2
