Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Pickup on South Street
- Commentary: Under construction
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Richard Widmark Skip McCoy Jean Peters Candy Thelma Ritter Moe Murvyn Vye Cpt Dan Tiger Richard Kiley Joey Willis Bouchey Zara Milburn Stone Minoki Parley Baer heavyset HQ Communist
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1953
Directed by Samuel Fuller.
Labels: film-noir1, goflexB, melodramaC, thelma-ritter, thriller4
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Miracle on 34th Street
- Who's watched: M & G, not as often as you might think.
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: We've only owned this movie since this last holiday season and only watched it once, I think. I am oddly attracted to it. I think my mother is, too. I think, unlike It's a Wonderful Life, which we are apt to watch in the middle of the summer, this will remain a holiday movie.
Update 2/10/18: Yes. This is a super-hero movie. Don't argue with me. Santa Claus is the epitome of the purely good super-hero.
Update 11/17/2021: This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Maureen O'Hara Doris Walker John Payne Fred Gailey Edmund Gwenn Kris Kringle Gene Lockhart Hon. Henry X. Harper Natalie Wood Susan Walker Porter Hall Granville Sawyer William Frawley Charlie Halloran Jerome Cowan D. A. Thomas Mara
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1947
Directed by George Seaton.
Labels: Christmas, comedy2, mom-favorite2, natalie-wood, super-hero2, thelma-ritter
Thursday, August 08, 2019
A Letter to Three Wives
- Commentary: Had this not been serendipitously included in a four-pack of movies containing the one I wanted I never would have added it to my collection. I have, though, seen it, enjoyed it, and am pleased to add it to my collection by default. It's a mature women's movie with a satirical twist that continues to twist until the end. It contains really interesting and perceptive woman-talk. It's from an era when woman-talk had more respect than it does, now. Does that surprise you, that I consider that, currently, woman-talk is not respected? Well, think again. It's not. It's acceptable, now, as it has rarely been in the past, for women to join men in being knowledgeable and forthcoming on all kinds of subjects, but women-talk? Sad to say, we're in another era of don't-talk-about-relationships of any kind unless it's from a distant psychological perspective.
Which reminds me, this post initiates yet another category, "psychological". Again, I'm surprised I haven't found a need for that category before this. I'm sure it applies to many movies in my collection. No matter what you think as you wend your way through the movie, the end is guaranteed to be a surprise and the journey to that surprise is delicious, indeed, so delicious that I will not mind making the journey again, even though I know the destination.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jeanne Crain Deborah Bishop Jeffrey Lynn Bradbury Bishop Linda Darnell Lora Mae Hollingsway Paul Douglas Porter Hollingsway Ann Sothern Rita Phipps Kirk Douglas George Phipps Barbara Lawrence Georgiana Finney Connie Gilchrist Ruby Finney Florence Bates Mrs. Manleigh Hobart Cavanaugh Mr. Manleigh Thelma Ritter Sadie Dubin Celeste Holm Voice of Addie Ross
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1949
Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
Labels: buddy, drama3, kirk-douglas, psychological1, thelma-ritter, women's-movie1
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
How the West Was Won
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: This is one of my parents' historical favorites. I remember watching it in the theater but discovered, upon rewatching it (I got it for my mother's birthday this year) that I'd misremembered quite a bit of it and apparently mixed it up with another movie that featured the great prairie land grab, which isn't covered in this film. My mother, who has become much more sophisticated about the depictions of Native Americans in movies, although there is actually little in this film but N.A. hearsay, was unsettled enough by what it included to voice her objections. Otherwise, we both enjoyed the sprawl, became surprisingly involved in the stories, loved some of the individual performances (Will Geer's, in particular, as the patriach of a river pirate family and Carroll Baker's surprisingly subtle performance as a pioneer wife). I was intrigued by the Civil War sequence, as well. My mother devoured the entire movie and breathed a satisfied sigh through a satisfied smile when it was over. "Let's start that again," she said. Luckily, we had another movie which she was equally anticipating, Jeremiah Johnson. This movie will be one of those "snowy/rainy day when I'm baking" movies, I'm sure. I don't think I'll become as fascinated with it as I have The Ten Commandments, of which I often find myself needing a fix, but I don't think I'll ignore it when I'm playing it for Mom, as I do some movies.
P.S. There are so many stars in this movie that I almost considered only listing one per section. The point of these listings, though, is to highlight actors in whose work I might like to luxuriate on, say, a couple of back-to-back snow or monsoon days. Leaving this movie out would be a travesty to that desire.
Thus, in order to make the listings a bit less jumbled, I'm setting them up as did Wikipedia, by section in the multiple tables below.
The movie is narrated by Spencer Tracy.
The Rivers Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role James Stewart Linus Rawlings Carroll Baker Eve Prescott Rawlings Debbie Reynolds Lilith Prescott van Valen Karl Malden Zebulon Prescott Agnes Moorehead Rebecca Prescott Walter Brennan Col. Jeb Hawkins Brigid Bazlen Dora Hawkins Lee Van Cleef River Pirate
The Plains Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Gregory Peck Cleve Van Valen Robert Preston Roger Morgan Thelma Ritter Agatha Clegg David Brian Lilith's attorney John Larch Gambler Grimes Clinton Sundberg Hylan Seabury
The Civil War Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role George Peppard Zeb Rawlings Andy Devine Cpl Peterson Harry Morgan Gen. Ulysses S. Grant John Wayne Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman Russ Tamblyn Confederate Deserter Raymond Massey President Abraham Lincoln Ken Curtis Cpl. Ben Jay C. Flippen Huggins
The Railroad Actor Role Actor Role Henry Fonda Jethro Stuart Richard Widmark Mike King
The Outlaws Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Lee J. Cobb Marshal Lou Ramsey Eli Wallach Charlie Gant Carolyn Jones Julie Rawlings Mickey Shaughnessy Deputy Stover Harry Dean Stanton Member of Gant's Gang Jack Lambert Member of Gant's Gang
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1962
Directed by Henry Hathaway, John Ford and George Marshall.
Labels: carroll-baker, dad-favorite, debbie-reynolds, eli-wallach, gregory-peck, harry-dean-stanton, henry-fonda, james-stewart, karl-malden, lee-j-cobb, mom-favorite1, spectacle2, spencer-tracy, thelma-ritter, western
All About Eve
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: I think this is the first Bette Davis movie I watched with attention, and it will remain my all time favorite of hers, edging out Now, Voyager only because I saw this one first. I love the presentation of the story; I love the way Davis plays the part; I love all the supporting characters, including Eve. Addison DeWitt strikes exactly the right tone, from beginning to end. It's funny, in the review to which I connect in the title, much mention is made of Marilyn Monroe's bit part, how her legendary luminosity is evident in this movie, how she steals all her scenes and how this appearance pre-figures her stardom. When she is in scene with Davis, though, I only have eyes for Davis. Monroe's luminosity may have drawing power, but it doesn't compare to Davis', which, I suppose, could be compared to that of a black hole, sucking viewers in beyond the power of a nascent star.
Mom, of course, loves this movie because it features Bette Davis.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Bette Davis Margo Channing Anne Baxter Eve Harrington George Sanders Addison DeWitt Celeste Holm Karen Richards Gary Merrill Bill Sampson Hugh Marlowe Lloyd Richards Thelma Ritter Birdie Coonan Gregory Ratoff Max Fabian
One of Roger Ebert's Great Movies.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up for this film.
Release Date: 1950
Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
Labels: bette-davis, drama9, me-favorite2, thelma-ritter, women's-movie1
Monday, February 07, 2005
Rear Window
- Who's watched: M
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: I know, I said there isn't a movie in our collection I haven't watched, and this is it! I got this movie because Mom's mentioned it off and on throughout the years and it appeared one day on sale at Costco. The day I bought it, some weeks ago, she was excited when I told her, settled in with it zestily, then, about ⅔ of the way through decided, without warning, to take a nap. She has watched it again, since then.
Roger Ebert wrote two reviews of this film, his initial review, linked to the title of this post, and another when he christened it one of his Great Movies.
Update 2/9/18: I have, as well, watched this movie since my mother's death. I find it mildly engaging but it isn't close to my favorite Hitchcock movie. That badge of honor belongs to Vertigo, a movie I've watched more than a few times since my mother's death. Just for the record, my second favorite Hitchcock movie is The Birds, mainly because I saw it when I was a kid. Its astonishingly dark ending really made an impression on me. I should note, I read the book before seeing the movie. Ah, the good old days of multi-literacy! I should also note, I have not seen nearly all of Hitchcock's movies, although all members of my family were devotees of his television show Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role James Stewart L. B. Jefferies Grace Kelly Lisa Carol Fremont Wendell Corey Thomas J. Doyle Raymond Burr Lars Thorwald Thelma Ritter Stella Judith Evelyn Miss Lonely Hearts Ross Bagdasarian As the Songwriter Georgine Darcy Miss Torso
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1954
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Labels: alfred-hitchcock, dramaC, james-stewart, melodramaC, mystery2, popcorn-and-soda6, suspense2, thelma-ritter
