What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Fading Fast]

"Gilda." First time to see it.

One of my first introductions to classic movies with a film noir feel. While it has its flaws and bumpy parts, it still works for me. And even though I'm not a passionate Rita Hayworth fan (I like a few of her movies and think she is a capable actress) - I think her entry in "Gilda" is the one of the best entries by a woman in a movie ever.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Across the Pacific (1942). An espionage story about court-martialed and dishonorably discharged former Army Lieutenant Rick Leland (Humphrey Bogart) trying to woo Alberta Marlow (Mary Astor) while, at the same time, interfering with Dr. Lorenz' (Sydney Greenstreet) plans to help the Japanese destroy the Panama Canal. Bogart is Bogart, Greenstreet is Greenstreet, and Mary Astor delivers a surprisingly natural performance in an otherwise by-the-numbers movie filled with horribly stereotyped Japanese characters. Enjoyable, but could have been better.

I saw it first many years ago, when WTBS used to show classic movies, sometimes, late at night. Always enjoyed the touches of humor between Bogart and Mary Astor -- such a contrast to the basic grim feel of "Maltese Falcon" (which suits that movie, and is derived from the novel).

Last week I watched a good part of "The VIPs" (1963), with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. My interest was in the scenes between Rod Taylor, as an Aussie businessman, and the young Maggie Smith as his private secretary.

TCM is going to have a Robert Vaughn night on Saturday, June 13 (http://www.tcm.com/schedule/index.html?tz=MST&sdate=2015-06-13), including "Bullitt" and the expanded "Man from U.N.C.L.E." pilot, "To Trap a Spy." Plus one of his lesser-known movies, "The Mind of Mr. Soames" from 1970.

 

[Doctor Strange]

That film is kind of a mess because director John Huston reported for his war service before finishing it. Not only was it a rushed production with several sequences written the night before or improvised on the spot, but he also set up a cliffhanger without providing a solution, leaving it for his replacement to figure out!

 

[Fading Fast]

That film is kind of a mess because director John Huston reported for his war service before finishing it. Not only was it a rushed production with several sequences written the night before or improvised on the spot, but he also set up a cliffhanger without providing a solution, leaving it for his replacement to figure out!

My biggest complaint with it is that you can see how they are trying to recapture the magic of "Casablanca," and that feels forced. Oh, and yes, the ending is a mess - thank you for explaining why.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Magic? I think we (as a culture) have forgotten that in 1942 Casablanca was just another studio potboiler, NOT a beloved deathless classic. Casablanca was only a modest success in its day, and it only gradually developed its current reputation. Being embraced by the Bogie cult of the sixties (young people who identified with Bogart's atypical-for-a-movie-star looks, general cynicism, and existential self-reliance) was what really pushed it to the top of the pantheon of old movies.

Which isn't to say it isn't a great film that I love, just that Huston probably wasn't really thinking about how to repeat or top the success of Casablanca when he was shooting Across The Pacific.

 

[Fading Fast]

Magic? I think we (as a culture) have forgotten that in 1942 Casablanca was just another studio potboiler, NOT a beloved deathless classic. Casablanca was only a modest success in its day, and it only gradually developed its current reputation. Being embraced by the Bogie cult of the sixties (young people who identified with Bogart's atypical-for-a-movie-star looks, general cynicism, and existential self-reliance) was what really pushed it to the top of the pantheon of old movies.

Which isn't to say it isn't a great film that I love, just that Huston probably wasn't really thinking about how to repeat or top the success of Casablanca when he was shooting Across The Pacific.

Then I am guilty of viewer bias - I saw something in "Across the Pacific" that wasn't there or maybe I just noticed some of the same actors and plot elements and assumed more about the production than was there.

That said, while I know "Casablanca" wasn't, in its day, recognized as the classic that we do today, I thought it was a very successful movie when it was released - but as always, I'm just going from my not-impressive memory.

 

[Doctor Strange]

It was successful and even won a couple of Oscars (keeping in mind that back then the Oscars were more like a small company town party than today's international ratings behemoth). But it took a long time and lots of TV reruns for it to become the iconic classic that we know today.

 

[AmateisGal]

One of my first introductions to classic movies with a film noir feel. While it has its flaws and bumpy parts, it still works for me. And even though I'm not a passionate Rita Hayworth fan (I like a few of her movies and think she is a capable actress) - I think her entry in "Gilda" is the one of the best entries by a woman in a movie ever.

I enjoyed it, but I think I need to watch it again to really make up my mind on it. I've never really watched Rita in anything and I did like her role in this.

While I was watching, I kept thinking, 'I wish this was in color so I could see her dresses!' The costumes really were gorgeous.

 

[AmateisGal]

It was successful and even won a couple of Oscars (keeping in mind that back then the Oscars were more like a small company town party than today's international ratings behemoth). But it took a long time and lots of TV reruns for it to become the iconic classic that we know today.

There is actually a book about the making of Casablanca.

Round Up the Usual Suspects: The Making of "Casablanca" - Bogart, Bergman, and World War II by Aljean Harmetz

It's quite good.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Harmetz's book about the making of the Wizard of Oz is also very good.

 

[jamespowers]

Magic? I think we (as a culture) have forgotten that in 1942 Casablanca was just another studio potboiler, NOT a beloved deathless classic. Casablanca was only a modest success in its day, and it only gradually developed its current reputation. Being embraced by the Bogie cult of the sixties (young people who identified with Bogart's atypical-for-a-movie-star looks, general cynicism, and existential self-reliance) was what really pushed it to the top of the pantheon of old movies.

Which isn't to say it isn't a great film that I love, just that Huston probably wasn't really thinking about how to repeat or top the success of Casablanca when he was shooting Across The Pacific.

All of the same could be said of Its a Wonderful Life.

 

[Fading Fast]

I enjoyed it, but I think I need to watch it again to really make up my mind on it. I've never really watched Rita in anything and I did like her role in this.

While I was watching, I kept thinking, 'I wish this was in color so I could see her dresses!' The costumes really were gorgeous.

Yes, but, you can't do "Gilda" in color - B&W is part of the atmosphere. And while I know others disagree, I thought she absolutely nailed the "Put the Blame on..." number. If you get a chance, catch a much older, mature Rita in "Separate Tables" some day (one of my absolutely favorite not-well-known movies - David Niven is fantastic in it) as I think she does a good job in that one too.

 

[Touchofevil]

touchofevil and cw3pa, BDatBR is one of my favorites; Tracy's fight with Borgnine must be seen to be believed.

It is one of my favorites as well as is the fight scene.

 

[Stearmen]

The Hunters (1958) Robert Mitchum, Robert Wagner and May Britt. Terrible movie, but some great F-86 Saber flying, and May is easy on the eyes!

 

[Zombie_61]

My biggest complaint with it is that you can see how they are trying to recapture the magic of "Casablanca," and that feels forced. Oh, and yes, the ending is a mess - thank you for explaining why.

Actually, the "cliffhanger" scene was the one in which Leland (Bogart) is trapped in the movie theater with the three assassins who are trying to kill him. Legend has it that director Vincent Sherman asked Huston how Leland gets out of the situation, to which Huston replied, "That's your problem. I'm off to the war."

You have to remember movies are almost always filmed out-of-sequence. For example, let's say a particular movie features three scenes in the main character's apartment--one near the beginning, one in the middle, and one near the end of the movie. They'll build the set, film all of the scenes that happen at that location, then tear the set down and build the next set they need. It sounds like it would be confusing, but it actually saves time and cuts down on production costs by not having to rebuild the set two or three times.

 

[Benzadmiral]

. . . You have to remember movies are almost always filmed out-of-sequence. For example, let's say a particular movie features three scenes in the main character's apartment--one near the beginning, one in the middle, and one near the end of the movie. They'll build the set, film all of the scenes that happen at that location, then tear the set down and build the next set they need. It sounds like it would be confusing, but it actually saves time and cuts down on production costs by not having to rebuild the set two or three times.

Or in the case of a TV series like "Star Trek" with a number of standing sets like the bridge, briefing room, etc., they would shoot all the bridge scenes in a given script at once. That would save having to set up the cameras, props, and everything else used in Bridge Scene 1 on the briefing room set, then move everything back to the bridge for the second scene there, etc. The principle is the same, though.

 

[Fading Fast]

Or in the case of a TV series like "Star Trek" with a number of standing sets like the bridge, briefing room, etc., they would shoot all the bridge scenes in a given script at once. That would save having to set up the cameras, props, and everything else used in Bridge Scene 1 on the briefing room set, then move everything back to the bridge for the second scene there, etc. The principle is the same, though.

If you are either very observant or have watched the same episode enough times, you will sometimes catch errors that expose this. Oddly (as you would think this would be controlled), sometimes it is as egregious as a haircut, where an actor will have the same longer hair in scene 1 and 5 and shorter hair in 2-4 (the worse movie ever for this is "Cocktail" where Tom Cruise's hair changes lengths several times). Sometimes it's the clothes, how they are worn or even a suntan that gives it away. Not important, but fun to catch this stuff.

 

[DesertDan]

Repo Man

 

[dh66]

Repo Man

A classic!

 

[DNO]

Storming Juno. A docudrama about the 3rd Canadian Division's assault on Juno beach in Normandy 71 years ago today. Quite well done.