Golden Age of Hollywood Book Club discussion
Hob Nob
>
mem'rable 'lines'
Here is a beauty which reeks of Oscar Wilde.No civilized man ever regrets a pleasure and no uncivilized man ever knows what the pleasure is.........George Sanders in The Picture of Dorian Gray, as only Sanders could do.
Mod
"No-o-o-o, Mister Bond (ahaha ahaha aha) ...I expect you to DIE...!"
ouch
Mod
all the law west of the Pecos
Thought I'd add, "Klaatu Barada Nikto" to the list. 😊
I can't believe that we haven't added the greatest line of all. I don't even have to tell you what film this is from:"Here's looking at you, kid".
"Don't ask for the moon. We have the stars".
Bette Davis and Paul Henried in Now Voyager
Hmm, now what do you think that means? I suppose it's one of those quotes open to interpretation?
He was married to a psychotic woman, they had a child who ended up with Bette Davis (it is too hard to explain how) and Paul and Bette were having an affair. So I guess that not having the moon meant that Paul was still stuck with the wife but having the stars meant that that he and Bette would continue the affair and keep the child. Or something like that......who knows? And he would keep lighting two cigarettes!!!!!
The cigarettes are all I know about it. I guess you just had to be there. 😉 I suppose that's true about most movies and their famous quotes. Out-of-context, they may not have the same appeal.
It is a bit corny but didn't seem that way in the context of the film, or at least when I saw it which has been quite a while ago.
'His Girl Friday' was on last night. Cary Grant's last line was quite memorable, but really only in context of the movie. They've just found out there's a strike in Albany, so Walter Burns wants to stop there on the way to Nigagra Falls. So then he says, 'Albany huh? Wonder if Bruce could put us up?'. Only Walter Burns would ask the just jilted boyfriend, Bruce, (Ralph Bellamy), to put them up!
I know 'Merry Christmas' has been used in many movies so I will just get my best wishes in for tomorrow for those who celebrate. Let's hope 2021 sees some happiness for all.
Claude Rains unforgettable line in Casablanca''I'm shocked, shocked to discover that gambling is going on here!
That was great, and he said it just perfectly. And then when they brought over his winnings...
It was a funny scene when they handed him his winnings.
Here is Judith Anderson telling Gene Tierney in Laura why she's better for Vincent Price than Tierney is. Just perfect!"I can afford him and understand him. He's no good but he's what I want. I'm not a nice person, Laura, and neither is he........we belong together because we are both weak and can't seem to help it."
The trouble is most people don't want to hear the truth, only what they like to think is the truth.
Jill wrote: "Here is Judith Anderson telling Gene Tierney in Laura why she's better for Vincent Price than Tierney is. Just perfect!"I can afford him and understand him. He's no good but he's what I want. I'm..."
That is one of my favorite scenes in the film. She delivers the brutal truth, all while effortlessly applying her lipstick!
She was a terrific actor but seemed to always be the the nasty character. She was a wonderful Mrs. Danvers in Rebecca.
"I was once so poor I didn't know where my next husband was coming from".Mae West in She Done Him Wrong
Jill wrote: ""I was once so poor I didn't know where my next husband was coming from".Mae West in She Done Him Wrong"
That is truly hilarious. Mae West was one of the worst Hays Code casulties. After it was enforced she continued to work but her wings were fatally clipped and her films never reached the dizzying heights of 'She Done Him Wrong' and 'I'm no Angel' anymore.
So true, Magnus. She wasn't bad in My Little Chickadee with the biggest scene stealer of all times, W.C.Fields. But I think she probably would have lost popularity even without the Code, just not as quickly. She was not a young woman and would have started looking rather ludicrous unless she changed her style. And I'm not sure she could have.
Good point. She made a couple of film in the 70s. I haven't seen them but I guess they were a different kind of camp.
I have heard of the 70s films and it appears that she was totally ridiculous trying to play a sex symbol when she was in her late seventies.I think the films went beyond campy to pathetic. So I guess that she couldn't change her style which is rather sad.
Jill wrote: "I have heard of the 70s films and it appears that she was totally ridiculous trying to play a sex symbol when she was in her late seventies.I think the films went beyond campy to pathetic. So I gue..."Madonna seems to have the same problem. Some people just don't know how to age gracefully.
Madonna should be in a Sunset Blvd remake. I wonder who should be Nancy Olsen, William Holden, and von Stroheim?
Spencer wrote: "Madonna should be in a Sunset Blvd remake. I wonder who should be Nancy Olsen, William Holden, and von Stroheim?"Elisabeth Moss, Joshua Jackson, Patrick Stewart. That's it. I've got a hit on my hands.
Instead of a big mansion, she'd have a total 80's art deco penthouse with Harings and Warhols on the walls.
Woody Allen as the Cecill B. DeMille character. Or maybe Warren Beatty.
Some great ideas, but Joshua Jackson and Patrick Stewart? I think we can do better. How about Di Caprio as Holden and Terence Stamp or de Niro as von Stroheim? Madonna is great in principle but the problem is she can't act.
Magnus wrote: "Some great ideas, but Joshua Jackson and Patrick Stewart? I think we can do better. How about Di Caprio as Holden and Terence Stamp or de Niro as von Stroheim? Madonna is great in principle but the..."The only film she was ever good in was Desperately Seeking Susan, and thats because she played herself.
I have to admit that I enjoyed Desperately Seeking Susan but never was particularly interested in watching any of her other films.
She's pretty good in A League of Their Own. Kind of a cartoonish role, but she executes fine in Dick Tracy.
I don't think Dicaprio is right at all.
I think DeNiro is also a terrible idea.
DiCaprio might be too old but I think the overall idea of remaking great films is ill-advised. At best it's good for spitballing. If it has to be a remake, why not take something mediocre and try and improve it (like Soderberg did with 'Ocean Eleven')? Remakes always disappoint those who enjoyed the originals.
Billy Wilder himself remade (or should I say 'rebooted'?) 'Boulevard' in the 70s when he made 'Fedora'. He got William Holden again but the enitre affair is mostly, rightly forgotten today.
I'm with you, Magnus. Most remakes are a waste of time and money. Right off hand, the only ones I can think of where I enjoyed the original and remakes are the 'Pride and Prejudice' versions.
Agreed. Just a joke, really. Just seems funny. Madonna screening "Borderline" in her living room.
I agree that classic films should not be remade. Why ruin a good thing? Mediocre films?...maybe. And continuation films usually don't work except for Godather II....and there might be a couple more but they don't jump to mind.
Jill wrote: "I agree that classic films should not be remade. Why ruin a good thing? Mediocre films?...maybe. And continuation films usually don't work except for Godather II>/b>....and there might be a couple ..."I tend to think the only times sequels work is when they are planned ahead (such as The Lord of the Rings). When they get an unexpected hit, I don't think they often know what made it popular in the first place, and so they go the formulaic route in the follow-ups.
Good point, Tara. So many hits' become 'assembly lines' such as the 'Rocky' series. That's one thing you rarely saw in the Classic age, except for the Andy Hardy, Dr. Kildare or Thin Man series. Not that all were that good.
I was going to play devil's advocate and list a few exceptions to the rule, cases where sequels are (almost) equals (though I'll stay way clear of superheroes and James Bond). Obviously all this is subjective and in general I fully agree that turning hits into franchises is a purely commercial excercise designed to keep accountants in the black. You also have a valid point when you say that pre-planned sequels tend to be better than spontaneous ones.Let's start with classic titles - Thin Man (at least the first 3), Godfather 2, French Connection 2, Bride of Frankenstein... and that's where I ran out of ideas.
In modern times it's a little easier: Toy Story, Back to the Future, Die Hard (the first 2), Mad Max, Terminator 2, Aliens, Mission Impossible, John Wick, perhaps a few horror sequels, but you're right again - it's still not too many.
Could this be also releated to the dvd/home entertainment/HBO revolution that took place some 20 years ago when tv shows went from self-contained to creating more sophisticated narrative arcs that last an entire season? Until then (despite vcrs, I guess) producers feared they'd lose audience shares if a story continued into the next episode, but thanks to box sets it was easier to catch up. Consequently tv story telling became more sophisticated.
Magnus, you are obviously more knowledgeable about this than I am since I have seen so few of your modern examples, and then probably only the first one. For example I have only seen Episodes 4, 5, and 6 of Star Wars, and never wanted to see the rest. As it became more and more expensive to go to a movie, I just waited and rented them. I guess now I prefer to rent because it is difficult for me to go to to a theatre. That's why I prefer to watch TCM or something like that, it's free and I'm able to see some great movies that I would never have seen otherwise. Sorry, this isn't really on your comment so much, but it explains why I don't quite understand why many people 'have' to see the newest in a movie series. 😊. And of course, the Pandemic hasn't helped.
Excellent comments, Betsy,Tara, and Magnus.Back in the day, sequels were called "series", such as Charlie Chan, The Thin Man, Boston Blackie, et al. They were often "B" films but had large audiences. They were fun but the stories and series pretty much deteriorated as they went along and then became obsolete.
Now, in modern times, we have the sequels to blockbusters: Star Wars, Die Hard, Alien et al. The studios saw that the original film was such a hit that they couldn't go wrong by repeating it ad infinitum. As with the series films, the characters/stories began to wear thin after the second or third one but the studios were going to milk as much as they could with these films. Look at the Rocky sequels......good grief, when will Rocky XII hit the screens!!!! The audiences have to be shrinking and profits decreasing and profit is the name of the game to the studios.
I know I sound like I am babbling but my point is that, if a film is a good one and well received, it makes sense to try a sequel but the studios tend to take it too far and, thus, dilute the excellence of the original.
Jill wrote: "Excellent comments, Betsy,Tara, and Magnus.Back in the day, sequels were called "series", such as Charlie Chan, The Thin Man, Boston Blackie, et al. They were often "B" films but had large audien..."
Exactly Jill. Action franchises tend to have more legs, but thats because the plot is thin in the first place. Not to say those kinds of movies aren't enjoyable, but they aren't exactly profound either.
Thoughts on films that become cult classics years later? Its A Wonderful Life being a good example of this (as it bombed initially.) Movies made ahead of their time perhaps? Victims of poor or no marketing strategy?
Cult classics!!! Love them and love to talk about them. How about we move this conversation to the "Guilty Pleasures" topic since it fits there better. I will make my comment over there and then we can continue. OK with you all?
Love that line from 'Marty' about 'What cha want to do tonight?''I don't know, what do you wanna do?' Besides Marty, do you think they ever got a life?
Michael Caine, 'Get Carter'