What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

bd3 said:

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, 1948 with Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Melvyn Douglas.

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In my personal pantheon of classic films. Cary at the top of his game, with great material, and surrounded by equally stellar co-stars.

Five out of five Fedoras

Mr Blandings is one of my ALL TIME favorites, and Narrow Margin was great. Two thumbs up.
I just caught the exquisite Leslie Caron in "The L Shaped Room" on TCM last night. I've wanted to see that flick for . . . ummm let's see . . . 46 years now. It was worth the wait. A classic slice of life British film of the early 60's, with wonderful performances by all.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Leslie Caron!!!

I watched PAROLE GIRL (1933) last night, which finds Mae Clarke assaying a decent gal who participates in a scam at a department store, only to get caught. Mind you, Clarke only takes part because her partner, Tony (Hale Hamilton), was decent to her ailing father some years back, covering his medical bills and paying for his funeral expenses, so she finds it hard to say no when he pressures her to return the favor.

The scam involves Tony loudly accusing Clarke of stealing his wallet in a crowded department store, allowing her to turn on the water works when it turns out she doesn't, in fact, have the wallet in her possession. Her subsequent threat to sue the store for doing irreparable damage to her reputation convinces the store manager to write her a check on the spot, and she splits the proceeds with Tony.

It's a tidy grift, and it works once, but the pair get greedy and try it a second time in another store. They almost get away with it there, too, but that store's manager receives a phone call just in time from his insurance company, alerting him that there's a pair of scam artists on the loose.

Caught redhanded (Tony's already scrammed), Clarke throws herself on the manager's mercy and has him convinced that she's not a bad sort and should be given a second chance, but the big boss, played by Ralph Bellamy, says it's out of his hands, that the store's insurance company requires them to presecute all such misdeeds.

So Clarke is, of course, found guilty and has to serve time, blaming Bellamy all the while.

Upon her early release, awarded after some faux heroics on her part during a prison fire that she intentionally started, she sets out to make Bellamy pay by getting him drunk and wedding him (or, rather, convincing him that they're married -- the "justice of the peace" who performs the ceremony is actually Tony, her old partner in crime, so the knot is not legally tied), which makes Bellamy a bigamist, since he married a gal back in college that he's not seen in years. (That his first bride turns out to be Clarke's prison cellmate [Marie Prevost] stretches credulity a bit, but one doesn't watch a picture like this expecting verisimilitude).

Can you guess how it all pans out? I trust that you can -- I certainly did as I watched -- but it doesn't matter. The picture's still plenty entertaining.

Two things to watch for, should you ever catch this snappy little Pre-Code programmer: When Bellamy wakes up, groggy and hungover the morning after, with no idea yet that he's "married," he's surprised to find Clarke sitting in his breakfast nook, enjoying a light repast of -- wait for it -- grapefruit. (Many of you will here recall Ms. Clarke's most famous on-screen moment, filmed two years earlier, that saw Jimmy Cagney shoving a grapefruit in her face during a memorable scene in THE PUBLIC ENEMY, so it's amusing here to see her savoring a bit of citrus enjoyment in the more conventional fashion.)

Also, it's interesting to note Clarke's haircut in the picture; it's short enough and styled in such a way as to appear downright mannish. I'm well aware that women's haircuts were shorter in the 1920s and early '30s, but I've never seen a 'do quite like this one in a picture of that era -- not unless it was sported by a gal of the Sapphic persuasion.

Sirocco

With Bogie. It could have been way better. Ah well. I'll wash my mind out with Casablanca soon.

a few from this week:

The Last Picture Show - a Peter Bogdanovich film. Did not like.

Devil's Playground - a documentary about Amish rumspringa - the period beginning at 16 when an Amish can explore the "English" world and either choose that lifestyle, or choose to return to the Amish church for baptism and life membership. Very interesting.

Me and You and Everyone We Know - dreamy, philosophical, and just strangely great.

Mrs. Merl said:

The Long, Long Trailer.

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I love "The Long, Long Trailer"; it's the kind of movie I have to watch any time I come across it. Then I end up with that goofy "Ragu of Beef" song in my head!

Last night I watched "Mr. Sardonicus" and "Strait-Jacket" on TCM. William Castle is always good for a campy, vampy time.

Synecdoche, New York - a really weird flick, but I liked it a lot.

JennyLou said:

My guy and I watched Shadow of a Doubt last night. It's one of my favorite Hitchcock movie and it was the first time he saw it.

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I fell asleep near the end for a wile. Did I miss much? hehe

Doc said:

I fell asleep near the end for a wile. Did I miss much? hehe

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I wasn't talking about you. I was talking about my other guy. Haha j/k. We will have to watch it again!

Last night I watched The Hands of Orloc and have to say I preferred the Peter Lorre remake (in 1935?? ) in Mad Love.
The acting in HoO was so over the top it held the story back.


Tonight its Vampyr .

Today I saw Zombieland. Which is good because for the last 4 days I've had Bruce Springsteen's "Jungleland" in my head but with a word substitution.

Just watched The Postman Always Rings Twice and I all I can think is poor kitty! That movie was pretty intense, it was a roller coaster.

Save the last dance

"Every Night At Eight." If I were to tell you that one-eyed, two-fisted hairy-chested he-man director Raoul Walsh ever directed a fluffy, flaffy musical comedy about a sister singing act trying to crash a Major Bowes-type radio amateur show, you'd call the wagon. But he did, in 1935, with one of the most sublime casts such a film ever could have -- George Raft as the radio impresario and Alice Faye, Frances Langford, and Patsy Kelly (yay!) as the singing sisters.

Plus, there's an exquisite Fields/McHugh musical score, including the first performance of "I'm In The Mood For Love." Who'd have ever thought Raoul Walsh was capable of such???

Mrs. Merl said:

The Long, Long Trailer.

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I loooove that movie, Is not only hilarious but also brings me some special memories from when i watched it with my mum and dad when i was a teen.

Just finished watching Troy on tv.

Watched the Blues Brothers Thursday, an oldie but a goodie. Watching Men in Black right now.

Ethan Bentley said:

Today I saw Zombieland. Which is good because for the last 4 days I've had Bruce Springsteen's "Jungleland" in my head but with a word substitution.

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"Bungleland?" No, wait, that's part Jethro Tull...

P'raps after visiting a church fundraising sale, you had "Jumbleland" in the little gray cells?

THE FRENCH LINE (1954) - A Texas oil heiress travels incognito to France, determined to find true love. Musical starring Jane Russell, Gilbert Roland, Arthur Hunnicutt, Mary McCarty DIR: Lloyd Bacon

I found this movie to be a bit of fluff, but entertaining non the less - some nice singing from Russell & great fashion. Though wasn't impressed with Russell lassooing a poor little calf.


LET NO MAN WRITE MY EPITAPH (1960) - I really liked this film, Ella was a great.
I cried when Judge died.

I re-watched "Big Night" tonight. Late 50s take on the values of good cuisine. Doesn't hurt that Isabella Rosalini and Minnie Driver are in it in those fab dresses!


"HEY! It is NEVER too much! It is only not ENOUGH! Bite your teeth into the ass of life! and drag it to you!"