More on John Ford’s Fort Apache (1948)…A poignant moment is when the regiment along with Capt. Sam Collingwood played by George O’Brien- hero of Ford’s landmark western The Iron Horse (1924) -is heroically marching out to face great adversity and his wife (Anna Lee in a great performance) receives an expected telegram confirming Collingwood’s transfer away from danger knows that her husband would refuse to be called back-“I can’t see him…just see the flags!
For me the Robert Osborne interview of Kim Novak live from the 2013 TCMFF reran on TCM this afternoon 3/18/17 was the most loving and genuine soul searching of a movie star ever – After hearing what Kim said the dynamics of how she felt about her role as Madeleine/Judy I am motivated to see Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) another 100 times! I miss Robert Osborne so much!
From the opening credits over preview vignettes to the ending Fort Apache (1948) (perfectly cast with John Wayne as the savvy Captain York; Henry Fonda cast against type as by the book Lt. Col. Thursday with Shirley Temple as his daughter; the great Ward Bond as Medal of Honor winner Sgt. Maj. O’Rourke with John Agar as his son 2nd Lt. O’Rourke) is a cinematic masterpiece set in the primordial Monument Valley, Utah where John Ford artistically composes every shot of his characters within this vast landscape to tell us about the passing of a generation within a military tradition. Love the sequence where Agar courts Shirley (his then real life wife) in defiance of her snobbish father Fonda by taking her out riding in this vast landscape and the Fordian choreography/music scoring in the noncommissioned officers dance event which artistically defines Fort Apache society.
On TCM 2/27/17 tonight- It is just cinematic magic when Olivia as Jody encounters American Lieutenant Gregory Pierson in WW II London…. will get to you every time you see To Each His Own (1946).
The opening of LA LA Land (the Glee-like traffic jam scene) was a poor song interpretation, had poor lighting, lousy cinematography, and uninspired choreography. If Billy Crystal can wow us in a five minute opening (at past Academy Awards shows), then we should expect a $30 million dollar movie could at least step up to […]
On TCM 2/21/2017-Great director Nicholas Ray’s masterpiece Rebel Without a Cause (1955) is a favorite of mine. Love the performances by James Dean, Oscar nominated here Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo. I cannot forget:
Mogambo (1953) on TCM last night 2/17/17–John Ford masterfully integrates striking gorilla documentary footage with his romantic triangle on a safari tale cast with screen greats: Clark Gable as big game hunter Victor Marswell; Grace Kelly as his married client (In Clark’s words: “You know how it is, the woman always fall for the white hunter.” ) and Ava Gardner as the down on her luck Eloise not having a good safari with the Clark/Grace fling (In the future she: “Only wants to see the two lions in the front of the public library.”) With the same genius Ford composes his shots in Monument Valley, he frames these superstars capturing the beauty and godliness of Kenya’s landscape.
On TCM Fri 2/24/17 – The Billy Wilder Essential Some Like It Hot (1959)-the great underrated character actor Nehemiah Persoff cast as mob chief Little Bonaparte opens the mob reunion (disguised as Friends of Italian Opera Lover’s meeting) with the following Wilder/I.A.L. Diamond eloquence: “Thank you, fellow opera-lovers. It’s been ten years since I elected myself president of dis organization… an’ if I say so myself, you made duh right choice. Let’s look at duh record: In duh lass fissel year we made a hundred an’ twelve million dollars before taxes… only we didn’t pay no taxes!” You also might remember Persoff in On The Waterfront (1954) playing the cab driver/mob informant in the famous Brando/Steiger who reported the action back to bad guy John Friendly (Lee J Cobb). Look for Nehemiah playing many diverse roles in many movies and TV.
Perfect forever Valentine’s Day gift to all us movie lovers- Marty (1955) from Oscar winning team of producer Burt Lancaster, director Delbert Mann, and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky where shy teacher Clara (Betsy Blair) who was down on her luck being taken on a Saturday night date to the Stardust Ballroom by a guy who called her a “dog”. But the reality was that Clara was caught on a date with a “rat” and that evening–she was rescued by the all-time kindest, nicest guy in the history of Cinema, Marty played by the great Oscar winning here Ernest Borgnine (“We dogs have to stick together.”)
On TCM last night 2/12/17: Legendary director George Steven’s brilliant I Remember Mama (1948)—the great Sir Cedric Hardwicke as the loving but deadbeat boarder Mr. Hyde provides to the San Francisco Norwegian immigrant Hansen family the gift of dramatic readings from classic books. He might not have paid the rent—but it was “a far better thing” (to quote the hero of Charles Dickens’ Tales of Two Cities) that he left his book collection as his final gift to the family.
Lawrence of Cinema 