The BellGab Classic Movie Playhouse

[Dr. MD MD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiovit5r04g

[zeebo]

^^ omg a part of my childhood brain just got played back to me

[Dr. MD MD]

^^ omg a part of my childhood brain just got played back to me

Honk Kong Phooey: Number 1 Super Guy! 

[21st Century Man]

Well, I lost the post I was writing about the Outlaw so I'm going to try again.  I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Howard Hughes western movie, The Outlaw, filmed in late 1940/41 but not released until 1943.  It is most well known for providing a classic cheesecake image of Jane Russell.



Other than that, the film has got to be the one of the worst films ever put together by an undoubtedly talented group of film-makers. 

First you have the initial director, Howard Hawks, who filmed two weeks of the picture then quit only to be replaced by Hughes himself.  Now Hughes was not a complete idiot when it came to making films.  He had produced a number of great films in the late 20's and early 30's including The Racket (1928), Hell's Angels (1930) The Front Page (1931) and the original Scarface (1932).  The Outlaw was his first foray back into film after Scarface.  He directed Hell's Angels along with a young James Whale and that features some stunning flying sequences. So directing was nothing new to him but you really have to question his abilities by the time he came to make this film.  He had assembled some first class actors (Thomas Mitchell and Walter Huston), a great cinematographer (Gregg Toland of Citizen Kane fame), a talented screenwriter (Jules Furthman who wrote the screen treatments of Mutiny On The Bounty, The Big Sleep, and Nightmare Alley among many others), and a masterful composer (Victor Young of Shane, The Quiet Man, Gun Crazy and numerous De Mille films).  Now all of these talented individuals do their usual great jobs except for Victor Young who I believed was mishandled by Hughes.  Hughes must have told Young that he was scoring a comedy film because a comedy score is what you hear  in the Outlaw.  This has got to be the most inappropriate score that I've ever heard for a film.

     Anyway, I remember seeing the Outlaw many many years ago and it was rather lifeless and dull.  Now watching it a few days ago, I wasn't as bored but the plot is rather tired and cliche not to mention historically inaccurate.  Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell) and Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) are best pals and then Holiday stumbles upon Billy the Kid (Jack Beutel) who has Holiday's horse.  Holliday is pissed but sees something in Billy that reminds him of himself in his younger days.  They strike up a friendship and Garrett appears to get jealous,more on that later, and tells Billy and Doc to hightail it out of town. They take their sweet time and some ambitious young whippersnapper hoodwinks Billy and tries to kill him but Billy's too fast.  Garrett responds and shoots Billy but Doc saves the day and rustles the injured Kid out of town to his girlfriend's place.  Rio (Jane Russell), Doc's busty girlfriend,  helps Billy mend and they strike up a love/hate relationship.  Meanwhile Doc has ridden out to distract Pat and the posse that is after them.  They track Doc up into the mountains and Doc manages to kill a couple of men in the posse which sends Garrett back to town. 

    Doc heads back to Rio and Billy and finds that they have fallen in love and is really ticked off.  He tells Billy he can have his horse or the girl but not both.  Billy chooses the horse which angers Rio.  Billy and Doc flee again into the mountains, encountering some Apaches and Garrett's posse. Both are captured by Garrett but encountering some Apaches, Garrett is forced to let them have their guns.  Anyway, they all end up back at Rio's place and Doc instigates Billy into a duel after Billy catches him trying to sneak off.  Billy says he won't shoot Doc and so Doc shoots Billy's ears off.  Still nothing and they reconcile. This pisses Pat off and he provokes his old friend into a duel.  Holliday won't shoot Pat and Pat kills him.  They bury Holliday and Pat gives Billy Doc's guns and tries to trick him into a shootout.  The plan fails and Rio rides off with Billy and Pat is left standing forced to say that the man he buried was Billy the Kid.

     This is some serious hokum and well it is just not very good.  Jack Beutel as Billy the Kid is likeble but rather lifeless as Billy.  This was his first feature and he was under contract with Hughes for 7 years.   The fact that the movie was pulled after its initial premiere in San Francisco in 1943 kept him from making films for a long time.  It wasn't until 1946 that the Outlaw had a wide release.  By then, he had gotten older and he would not make another film until 1951.  It is widely known that Beutel was Hughes' boyfriend.  While Beutel himself was not gay, he was willing to be Hughes' boytoy in order to get the role.  That doesn't seem like it paid off for Beutel, poor guy.  Hughes himself was bisexual and had many girlfriends as we all know.

  That is not the only gay thing about the film. What is the deal with Pat's jealousy over Billy and Doc's friendship?  Does he miss those nights travelling the Hershey Highway with Doc?  One wonders.  Speaking of sex, get a load of some of the lines that Billy says to Rio.

  "I like to hear you ask for IT.  Beg some more."

   "Will you look right at me while I do IT?"

Steamy stuff for the early 40's and no wonder the censors had problems. 

      Jane Russell also languished in film purgatory while the Outlaw was held up from distribution.  She starred in another film in 1946 called Young Widow but that did not ignite her career and her career languished until The Outlaw saw wide release that same year.  With the western Hope vehicle, The Paleface, in 1948, her stardom exploded. Again though that was basically a 7 year hiatus and to think of the films a young Russell could have graced.  What a waste.  Still her acting talent in this film is negligible.  Her breasts saved her performance.

Jane and her two co-stars.




If you want to have a few laughs, have at it, and while it is certainly not the worst film ever made, it is one of the most ineptly assembled.  2 stars out of 5.

Here's the movie if you want to watch it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AonxC4vNxw&t=4247s

[ItsOver]

With your panning of "The Outlaw," I was curious if MST3K had riff'ed it.  Nope, so it must reside in the hell-world of "not good, but not so God-awful it was mocked by Joel/Mike and a bunch of bots."  At least if wasn't "Outlaw of Gor."

[21st Century Man]

With your panning of "The Outlaw," I was curious if MST3K had riff'ed it.  Nope, so it must reside in the hell-world of "not good, but not so God-awful it was mocked by Joel/Mike and a bunch of bots."  At least if wasn't "Outlaw of Gor."

It is pretty god-awful in places, particularly the music, complete with the muted trumpet," waaah, waaaah, waaah, waaah's" that belong in a 3 stooges short rather than in a drama.  Plus the whole gay subtext running through the film.  You'd get a kick out of it, I'm sure.  It is perfect for MST3K.  Beutel's and Russell's acting talent or let's say lack of it also deliver the goods.

[ItsOver]

It is pretty god-awful in places, particularly the music, complete with the muted trumpet," waaah, waaaah, waaah, waaah's" that belong in a 3 stooges short rather than in a drama.  Plus the whole gay subtext running through the film.  You'd get a kick out of it, I'm sure.  It is perfect for MST3K.  Beutel's and Russell's acting talent or let's say lack of it also deliver the goods.

I believe it's one of those movies I've had running in the background, as I'm busy doing something else.  It would have taken some guy in a jumpsuit with some goofy bots to get my attention to even mock it. 

A classic moment from MST3K.


http://youtu.be/F_ZqvkLupgk

[ItsOver]

For any Holmes fan, this might be of interest.



http://view.s7.exacttarget.com/?qs=34edaada35b40e6fec68c3efe009db96035a5bff2e3677c7aec51f5d62cff6110cff2da04d4290a0e800d7fbb879dc94a2e5177ef5b34b54a498a373dbee7648

[albrecht]

In addition to various independent or art house theaters Cinemark (and maybe some others) sometimes show old movies. You can find one of the list here. They also do stuff like stuff from the MET, etc. My local Cinemark has been remodeled so nice big seats, serve beer, etc and it is fun to see old classics (or new classics) on the big screen.
fathomevents.com

[21st Century Man]

Just watched the 183 minute version of the Japanese Ghost Story Epic, Kwaidan (1964).  A beautiful piece of art but a bit of a slog to sit through.  Be sure to be wide awake should you desire to see it.   Don't try to watch this film if you are tired, you won't make it through to the end. However, it is a very beautiful film and well-made. The horror in this film is purely psychological though there is an unsettling image to each of the 4 stories told in this film.  My 2 favorite stories were  The Woman Of The Snow and Hoichi the Earless though The Black Hair left me moved and a bit sad.  The colors in this film are sumptuous which is a somewhat common trait in the horror films of the 60's such as those produced by Bava and AIP among others.

The director of Kwaidan was Masaki Kobayashi who adapted the movie from 4 stories that Lafkadio Kearn published in his famous tomes.  He is also known for the samurai epic, Harakiri. Most of the filming was done inside a huge aircraft hangar so don't expect much realism.  Realism is not desired by the filmmaker, otherworldliness is. I would call this a surrealist masterpiece.  I hesitate to describe the movie any further as any connoisseur of film should most definitely see it.  4 out of 5 stars. Available on dvd and blu-ray from Criterion.

[21st Century Man]

I watched an entertaining movie the other night.  It was a bit creaky but a lot of fun and I imagine it was highly influential on certain individuals in our society such as Bob Kane, the creator of Batman.  The Public Defender (RKO-1931) is one of the stepping stones in the development of the superhero. The plot concerns a wealthy young playboy, Pike Winslow (Richard Dix), -aren't they all?-recently retired from the intelligence service- he dons the persona of "The Reckoner" when his childhood girlfriend's father is framed and indicted in a bank embezzlement scandal.  He knows who the true culprits are and proceeds to extract incriminating evidence from their homes leaving a calling card behind with his signature and the scales of justice emblazoned on it.  With the help of his two assistants, the erudite Professor, played wonderfully by a pre-Frankenstein Boris Karloff, and Doc (Paul Hurst), they set about to balance the scales of justice.  Boris does steal the scenes he is in.  It is nice to see him play a good guy in this period when he played so many heavies.









  I'd like to comment a bit on Richard Dix.  I've only seen a few of his movies most notably Val Lewton's Ghost Ship from the mid-1940's.  He came across as a bit wooden and stoic in those roles.  In this film, he is lively and full of energy, delivering a delightful performance.  Shirley Grey is also appealing as the girl who desperately wants to be more than a friend to Pike.  The screenplay is well-written but I feel the movie could have been filmed better but they were no doubt hampered by the restrictions of the early sound era.  I would have loved to see a true master of light and shadow like Bert Glennon handle the cinematography.  Still, I'm sure this stirred the imaginations of young Bob Kane.  He had to have seen this. I'm going to give it 3 stars out of 5 for the performances particularly by Dix and Karloff and the screenplay.  Available from Warner Archive

[TigerLily]

Damn! This thread needs some love.

How cool is this? Every Best Actor Oscar winner since 1929 pictorial. I think I have seen almost every one of these films. And, yes, I do have a life 

http://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/oscars/the-best-actor-the-year-you-were-born/ss-AAmGoWX?li=BBnb2gh&srcref=rss

[TigerLily]

For those who get TCM this Sunday they are starting a weekly Film Noir showing hosted by Eddie Muller. Weirdly scheduled at Sunday morning 10am Eastern 7am Pacific. Film noir should be watched late at night with a single malt. I already have my DVR set up to record it so I'm set.

First movie up is "Detour" 1945

"This movie from Hollywood's poverty row, shot in six days, filled with technical errors and ham-handed narrative, starring a man who can only pout and a woman who can only sneer, should have faded from sight soon after it was released in 1945. And yet it lives on, haunting and creepy, an embodiment of the guilty soul of film noir. No one who has seen it has easily forgotten it." - Roger Ebert

[21st Century Man]

Damn! This thread needs some love.

How cool is this? Every Best Actor Oscar winner since 1929 pictorial. I think I have seen almost every one of these films. And, yes, I do have a life 

http://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/oscars/the-best-actor-the-year-you-were-born/ss-AAmGoWX?li=BBnb2gh&srcref=rss

I noticed a few of the pictures appeared to be the wrong person.  I'm pretty sure that isn't Wallace Beery pictured when he won for the Champ.  That maybe his brother Noah.  And for winning Best actor for The Story of Louis Pasteur, that picture is definitely not Paul Muni. Not even close.

Thank you, TL,  for showing some love for this thread.

[21st Century Man]

For those who get TCM this Sunday they are starting a weekly Film Noir showing hosted by Eddie Muller. Weirdly scheduled at Sunday morning 10am Eastern 7am Pacific. Film noir should be watched late at night with a single malt. I already have my DVR set up to record it so I'm set.

First movie up is "Detour" 1945

"This movie from Hollywood's poverty row, shot in six days, filled with technical errors and ham-handed narrative, starring a man who can only pout and a woman who can only sneer, should have faded from sight soon after it was released in 1945. And yet it lives on, haunting and creepy, an embodiment of the guilty soul of film noir. No one who has seen it has easily forgotten it." - Roger Ebert

Detour is a great film.  One of my staples in my film noir DVD collection.

[21st Century Man]

I'll try to get back to posting a few things now and then.  I've been lazy.

[TigerLily]

No pressure. Whenever the mood strikes you, darling. They are always a good read

[albrecht]

I mentioned before, so won't go into detail. But on the "free" satellite (thanks Its Over) and on some cable channels they are about to show "Let's Scare Jessica To Death." A movie that many of you might have caught on tv back when but then was not available. Low-budget for a big impact, I think. A weird movie that still holds a bit, but not near as the first time. But still has "something" about it. Atmosphere? And, maybe, best watched on an old tv, late night. Get soundtrack and filming locations. And, just "something" about it still creeps me out.
http://moviestvnetwork.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067341/?ref_=nv_sr_1

[TigerLily]

Nothing like a good scary movie. I've heard of "Let's Scare Jessica to Death" but haven't seen it. I will keep a lookout. Did you see "Drag me to Hell"? That one is fun

[21st Century Man]

I watched Erich von Stroheim's third film, Foolish Wives (1922), last night.  The plot concerns a trio of grifters, living in opulence in 1919 Monte Carlo, led by von Stroheim who prey upon the gullible.  They have taken notice of an American envoy and his wife who arrive in Monte Carlo to meet with the reining monarch.  Von Stroheim intends to con the unsuspecting couple, bilking money from them.  However, he is not only interested in the money, he intends to seduce the wife, played by Miss Dupont.




I have enjoyed much of von Stroheim's work in other films such as Blind Husbands, Greed and Queen Kelly.   I was rather disappointed in this film though.  The pace was very slow with von Stroheim focusing on minute details rather than moving the story forward. I can't believe von Stroheim's cut of the film was originally 6 and a half hours.  Universal cut it to 3 hours and change and over the years it was cut even more.  For many years, the only cut of the film available was 74 minutes.  The restored version I watched was 144 minutes.  The film spends the first 30 minutes introducing the characters.   Boring.  I can't imagine spending 6 and a half hours watching this. In this case, maybe the studio did us all a favor by cutting it down as much as they did. 




    The leading lady, Miss Dupont, brings nothing to the film.  She does an adequate job but she is just not interesting and their is no chemistry between her and von Stroheim.  The role begs for someone like Gloria Swanson. The other actors are ok.  I thought Mae Busch did a wonderful job as Von Stroheim's fellow grifter but the film only really comes alive when von Stroheim is onscreen.  The gentleman who played the unsuspecting husband,  Rudolph Christians, died in mid-production and half of his scenes had to be shot with a double with back to the camera.  I will say this, the performances are restrained and there is no over-emoting that is rather common in some films from this era.



Not a lot happens in the film. Von Stroheim tries and fails to seduce the wife during a summer storm at the cottage of a woman who looks like a witch.  The action only picks up during the last half hour of the film when a fire breaks out in a building that von Stroheim and Miss Dupont are trapped in.  However, there are some gaps in the storytelling here that can no doubt be attributed to the many cuts the film has had over the years.  Most noticeably, the final fate of von Stroheim's character takes place offscreen.  I'm sure that was cut from the film.  Also, von Stroheim kills a black cat and that is missing as well.


The film has some nice touches, of that there can be doubt.  The cinematography and set design is wonderful.  The attention to detail is as much a plus as it is a minus. There are also some insights into the character of von Stroheim.  He has his eye on a mentally retarded teenage girl that tickles his fancy.  This character flaw will be von Stroheim's undoing.  There are also some nice asides to the state of soldiers returning from WWI, maimed in body and soul.

I do recommend the film but with reservations.  Be prepared to be somewhat bored for at least the first hour of the film but it does get better as the film moves towards its climax.  I still yearn to watch von Stroheim's cut of Greed but I do not yearn the same for this film.  If you want to watch a better film with a similar theme, watch Blind Husbands.  I'll give Foolish Wives 3 stars out of 5 for technical brilliance and von Stroheim's performance but it is just too slow and uninteresting during a large portion of the film.  I would like to perhaps see Universal's original cut of the film that was a little over 3 hours.

[TigerLily]

I've seen quite a few of von Stroheim's films as an actor. My two favorite are the two most popular:La Grande Illusion and Sunset Boulevard. Great movies both. He is very charismatic, I thought especially in Illusion. I think he won or at least was nominated for Sunset Boulevard. I believe the only film he directed that I've seen is Greed

[21st Century Man]

I've seen quite a few of von Stroheim's films as an actor. My two favorite are the two most popular:La Grande Illusion and Sunset Boulevard. Great movies both. He is very charismatic, I thought especially in Illusion. I think he won or at least was nominated for Sunset Boulevard. I believe the only film he directed that I've seen is Greed

Oh yeah.  He is wonderful in Grand Illusion.  I watch Sunset Boulevard every few years.  That is probably my favorite Billy Wilder film.  He does have a charismatic screen presence.  He may not be good-looking in the traditional sense but I buy into the fact that he is popular with the ladies. His charisma very much on display in Foolish Wives as well as Blind Husbands.

More on Foolish Wives.  It was the first picture with a budget over a million dollars.  Many people who saw the original six and a half hour cut of the film thought it was the perfect film.  I don't know.  It really dragged for me.  I can't imagine watching such a long cut of the film. Maybe I was a bit harsh on the film.

[albrecht]

Svengoolie actually has a real good movie on tonight 9PM Central on MeTV (and I think on some local or affliate stations.) Haunted house story that is really well done and acting and the setting is nice. Warning it is slightly edited for time*. I also hesitate sometimes to recommend a really good movie with Svengoolie for a first time viewing because his antics can take away from the film if it is a serious/good one.

"The Uninvited" (1944) Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Donald Crisp.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037415/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

* http://svengoolie.com/?p=14592

[ItsOver]

Yes, sir.  I'll be DVRing it.  Last week's Sven was quite good, too.  The classic 1943 "Phantom of the Opera," with Claude Rains and the talented and lovely Suzanna Foster.  Really a touching and wonderfully done film.  Bravo!

[ItsOver]

Oh yeah.  He is wonderful in Grand Illusion.  I watch Sunset Boulevard every few years.  That is probably my favorite Billy Wilder film.  He does have a charismatic screen presence.  He may not be good-looking in the traditional sense but I buy into the fact that he is popular with the ladies. His charisma very much on display in Foolish Wives as well as Blind Husbands.

More on Foolish Wives.  It was the first picture with a budget over a million dollars.  Many people who saw the original six and a half hour cut of the film thought it was the perfect film.  I don't know.  It really dragged for me.  I can't imagine watching such a long cut of the film. Maybe I was a bit harsh on the film.

Ah, yes.  Von Stroheim.  He definitely "had it."

[TigerLily]

Svengoolie actually has a real good movie on tonight 9PM Central on MeTV (and I think on some local or affliate stations.) Haunted house story that is really well done and acting and the setting is nice. Warning it is slightly edited for time*. I also hesitate sometimes to recommend a really good movie with Svengoolie for a first time viewing because his antics can take away from the film if it is a serious/good one.

"The Uninvited" (1944) Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Donald Crisp.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037415/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

* http://svengoolie.com/?p=14592

Yes. It is a great movie. Sorry I didn't see the post in time. I can't quite imagine "The Uninvited" getting the Svengoolie treatment

[TigerLily]

I finally watched the first two episodes of "The Feud". A backstory of Davis and Crawford making "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?". It is dishlicious! Really smart writing with great actors playing great actors. Jessica Lange plays Joan Crawford and Susan Sarandon absolutely nails Bette Davis. Really fun.  TigerLily recommended

[albrecht]

Svengoolie is playing "Dracula" with an alternative, disputed soundtrack tonight on MeTV and local affiliates.

http://svengoolie.com/?p=14779
"Since the original version of the film, of course, was devoid of any music, other than the opening  credits “Swan Lake” theme and incidental music in the opera house scene,  the music makes a noticeable difference. This music track was originally added to the French DVD  release, using stock music from the studio’s library. (When we first showed this version, we were mistakenly informed that it was  another soundtrack, created by Philip Glass and The Kronos Quartet. Glass was  commissioned in the late 90s by Universal to create the score, to provide a new dimension to this film- and others- but Universal was not happy with Glass’ work, and shelved any further soundtrack additions by him to other films.) The soundtrack you’ll hear tonight is most definitely the one made up of selections from the Universal music and effects library. Certainly, many prefer the original version of the film, sans music- but we got such a positive reaction to this version when we aired it a couple years ago- we thought we’d give it a second airing."

[ItsOver]

Svengoolie is playing "Dracula" with an alternative, disputed soundtrack tonight on MeTV and local affiliates.

http://svengoolie.com/?p=14779
"Since the original version of the film, of course, was devoid of any music, other than the opening  credits “Swan Lake” theme and incidental music in the opera house scene,  the music makes a noticeable difference. This music track was originally added to the French DVD  release, using stock music from the studio’s library. (When we first showed this version, we were mistakenly informed that it was  another soundtrack, created by Philip Glass and The Kronos Quartet. Glass was  commissioned in the late 90s by Universal to create the score, to provide a new dimension to this film- and others- but Universal was not happy with Glass’ work, and shelved any further soundtrack additions by him to other films.) The soundtrack you’ll hear tonight is most definitely the one made up of selections from the Universal music and effects library. Certainly, many prefer the original version of the film, sans music- but we got such a positive reaction to this version when we aired it a couple years ago- we thought we’d give it a second airing."

I've now added this to my collection.  Surprisingly, I don't think I'd ever seen "Dracula" until last night.  I can see why Bela will be forever remembered as the classic Dracula.  A really eerie old-time movie.

[21st Century Man]

I've now added this to my collection.  Surprisingly, I don't think I'd ever seen "Dracula" until last night.  I can see why Bela will be forever remembered as the classic Dracula.  A really eerie old-time movie.

Wow.  I thought anybody born before 1975 would have seen this when they were young.  I kind of envy you just seeing it for the first time.  If you ever get the chance catch the Spanish language version made at Universal at the same time.  Most of the Lugosi Dracula dvd's have it as an extra.  In some ways, it is better.  Lugosi was the better Dracula and no one can replace Dwight Frye as Renfield but the ladies are easier on the eyes and I prefer the Van Helsing of the Spanish version.