The Golden Age: Classic Movie Thread

[Deleted]

I'm currently watching It Happened One Night with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert.

She looks amazing.

[margojata]

Apr 21, 2010 17:09:10 GMT -4 tabby said:

The Thin Man! I adore that movie. As someone once said, William Powell and Myrna Loy made being married look like so much fun. And, of course, everyone is three (or more) sheets to the wind through most of it.

And all that lavish living - during the depression! "After the Thin Man" is also good - with a VERY young Jimmy Stewart.

I love Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, and Barbara Stanwyck. Who even comes close to those old "broads"? No one even comes close to the old stars.

[Daisy Pusher]

Apr 21, 2010 23:21:45 GMT -4 @mimmilina said:

I also LOVE Bette Davis. All About Eve is my favourite movie of hers: the dialogue in that is brilliant and she absolutely owns the quippiness mixed with vulnerability and bitchiness.

That's my favorite Bette film as well, as well as being one of my all time favorites. I love the scene in the club near the end, when Margo, Bill, Lloyd and Karen are sitting together and in walks Addison and Eve. Margo takes the celery stalk, gives the two snakes a wonderful "up yours" gesture with it and takes a giant bite. LOVE IT.

"I'll admit I've seen better days, but I'm still not to be had for the price of a cocktail...like a salted peanut."

[MrsCatHead]

My 11yr old loves the Thin Man movies. We have a marathon and watch all of them in a row every once in a while. I never get tired of them.

[Deleted]

Growing up I wanted to live in the Thin Man series and be Myrna Loy. Still do as a matter of fact.


And yes, Bette Davis in All About Eve. There will never be another performance like that because there will never be another talent like her. Everyone wanting to become an actor should watch her over and over again and take notes.

[proper stranger]

Apr 21, 2010 19:11:28 GMT -4 Daisy Pusher said:

I think her performance in The Awful Truth is one of the greatest comedic performances on film. While she is a delight throughout (especially dancing with Ralph Bellamy), it is the scene with her singing at the recital, and Jerry (Cary Grant), whose leaning back in his chair causes it to crash to the ground, which is pure gold. Dunne's laughter--while singing--was just so effing brilliant.

YES. I love that scene! She doesn't miss a beat--just keeps singing in that lovely voice of hers, and the laughter just trills out as part of the song. Irene was also wonderful as Magnolia in the 1936 Show Boat movie (she had played the part in the first national tour of that show) and in the original Love Affair with Charles Boyer.

Apr 21, 2010 23:21:45 GMT -4 @mimmilina said:

Cary Grant is great. He's obviously always a Cary Grant-character, kind of like Bogart was always Bogart-character (and Harrison Ford is pretty much always a Harrison Ford character of some kind...), but when those guys play roles that suit them, they are frigging amazing.

Awhile back I was reading this great article online...I think it was about John Garfield (another sadly under-appreciated actor). Anyway, the writer said the exact same thing: that nowadays, people seem to equate good acting with playing a gaggle of insane characters with funny makeup, accents, walks, whatever. But actors like Grant, Bogart and Garfield were no less gifted for wonderfully playing a range of roles within a certain type.

Speakng of John Garfield, I "discovered" him a couple of years ago when TCM played Four Daughters, which was his screen debut. About a minute into his first scene, I literally (no exaggeration) sat up straighter on the couch, thinking, "Who is this guy and why am I not more familiar with him?" He played an anti-hero, perpetually down-on-his-luck musician and played him in a manner that felt so ahead of its time. Very much a precursor to Brando and that style--but (I say this as a Brando fan) warmer and more relatable. I've seen several of his movies since, including the original The Postman Always Rings Twice with Lana Turner and Humoresque with Joan Crawford. He was always interesting to watch. Fantastic actor.

[kateln]

God I love the Thin Man movies.

It's funny, I adore Jimmy Stewart but hate It's a Wonderful Life.

I'm also a huge fan of Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn Bringing Up Baby, A Philadelphia Story, and Roman Holiday are 3 of my all time faves.

Finally--am I the first person to mention Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers? They're just awesome!

[ladytrentham]

Oh, I love A Philadelphia Story! Hepburn should have won an Oscar for best use of the word "Golly!" in a sentence.

edited because correct titles are important ::smacks self::

[millie77]

I'm a classic movie junkie and love way too many old movies to list in a single post. Here are a couple of favorite comedies I haven't seen mentioned yet:
Arsenic and Old Lace -- Apparently, Cary Grant hated the movie because he thought he overdid the mugging, and he had a point, but I still absolutely adore the movie. My goodness, those two aunts were a scream. And Peter Lorre as "Dr. Einstein."

Ball of Fire -- This is the first Barbara Stanwyck movie I ever saw and, since she's one of my favorites, I have a real affection for this one. She and Gary Cooper made a great pair (he did a good "stiff and befuddled") and it was just chock full of character actors like Henry Travers and S.Z. Sakall.

To Each His Own: I saw this one for the first time on TCM and loved it, with Charles Coburn (fabulous), Joel McCrea (huge crush) and Jean Arthur (very funny) all sharing an apartment in D.C. during WWII. It was funny and romantic and the ending is just great. Jean Arthur's morning schedule plan (and Coburn's reaction to it) makes me laugh every time.

[tabby]

I had completely forgotten about Arsenic and Old Lace - that movie is hilarious! I should watch it again soon.