Most people think of Cary Grant as a suave leading man, but he is also an incredible physical comic. The dark comedy “Arsenic and Old Lace”(1944) directed by Frank Capra is the perfect vehicle for his slapstick comedic style. Grant plays Mortimer Brewster who, to his horror, discovers that his two darling elderly aunts (Abby (Josephine Hull) and Martha (Jean Adair) are in fact serial killers, bumping off those who they perceive as “lonely bachelor” men.
Mortimer’s aunts epitomize the idea of sweet little old ladies. They can preserves, donate toys to the policeman’s children’s fund, make Elderberry wine. The problem is that their tasty Elderberry wine is spiked with arsenic, strychnine and “just a pinch of cyanide”.
After Mortimer discovers a dead body hidden in the window seat he assumes that Teddy (John Alexander) – Abby and Martha’s brother – has committed murder under some delusion, (he believes he’s Theodore Roosevelt).
But the aunts are quite sincere when they explain to Mortimer that they are responsible (“It’s one of our charities”).
The look on Cary’s face when he discovers one of the bodies in the window seat is priceless. The classic double take.
Abby and Martha have the perfect set-up. The cellar of the family home becomes the burial ground for their victims with their brother Teddy aka Theodore Roosevelt digging the graves convinced he’s digging locks for the Panama Canal and burying yellow fever victims.
And, as if his murderous aunts weren’t enough on Mortimer’s plate, enter long, lost brother Jonathan (Raymond Massey). Jonathon is a psychotic killer looking to stash a body of his own (Mr. Spenalzo). Also, to his annoyance, Jonathan is in need of another plastic surgery because his face bears a striking resemblance to Frankenstein thanks to his alcoholic plastic surgeon and accomplice Dr. Herman Einstein (Peter Lorre).
Oh, did I mention the reason why Mortimer was actually visiting his aunts? Well, despite having written several books ridiculing marriage as an “old-fashioned superstition”, Mortimer has fallen in love and has just married the irresistible next door neighbor, Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane). The wedding took place that morning which is (and this is too perfect) Halloween day.
When Jonathan discovers his aunts’ secret, he threatens to expose them if they try to turn him into the police. When the police come to the house to pick up Abby and Martha’s donation to the policeman’s children’s fund, Mortimer tries to hip them to Jonathan’s identify but it doesn’t go as smoothly as he’d planned. Chaos and hilarity ensue and this is where the monster mash fun begins.
And with that, I’ll let the opening credits speak for itself…
In my countdown to Halloween, I’ve already started watching my Friday night fright movies with help from my favorite classic film channel Turner Classic Movies. Fridays in October at 8:00 pm, they’re featuring theme-based horror flicks. The theme for Friday, October 9th is ‘Rogue Body Parts’. (sounds like fun!) To help other fans with fright flick selections, I’ll be recommending my DVR worthy choices for the TCM Horror Fest. So fire up the DVR, grab your favorite go-to snack and settle into the Halloween spirit!
“Mad Love” was so disturbing for the time that the studio released the film with an opening disclaimer that began, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feels that it would be a little unkind to present this picture without just a word of friendly warning….” The Hays censorship office had objections to the showing of the train wreck or any “gruesome” images. It also had issues with the torture scenes and a shot of Dr. Gogol fondling the wax replica of Yvonne. Oops!
This movie is Lorre’s American film debut and he portrays the strange Dr. Gogol – his name alone evokes an unsettling mood. Well, Gogol seems to have a thing for sadomasochism which he enjoys at the ‘Théâtre des Horreurs’. Actress Yvonne Orlac (Frances Drake) is the object of Dr. Gogol’s obsession as she embodies his fantasy on stage in the theater company’s latest torture production.
Torture
Theater of Horrors
Inquisition
So sorry Dr. Gogol but Yvonne is married to Stephen Orlac (Colin Clive) – accomplished concert pianist – but anyway, she is so NOT into this creepy little man who has a standing box seat and has attended every performance. Gogol is so obsessed with Yvonne that he buys the wax figure of her after the show’s final performance. Mind you this is a life-size replica that he enshrines in his home so he can “always possess her.” Told you he was creepy.
Yvonne Orlac in wax – Dr. Gogol
The brilliant Dr. Gogol is a renowned surgeon with whom Yvonne, in desperation, must plead with to save her successful pianist husband’s hands and career after a gruesome train wreck. Well, of course, he’ll help his love but during emergency surgery on Stephen he comes up with the twisted idea to graft the hands of a knife-wielding killer who has just been put to death on the guillotine. (And of course, Gogol attended the decapitation.) However, soon afterward Stephen begins to suspect that something is seriously wrong with his new found extremities.
Dr. Gogol w/ assistant in Surgery
Operation complete
Stephen Orlac – Colin Clive
This is where we add another level of freaky to the plot. I’m not going to give anything away – that goes against every film fan rule. So, check it out and let me know on a scale of 1 – 10 the creep/freak factor in the comments. Also, be sure to stay tuned for next week’s DVR worthy fright flick. Theme – ‘Scary Kids’.
October holds a special place in my holiday heart because I get to celebrate my favorite day of the year, Halloween. Just picture it. A darkened theater, a bucket of popcorn, sitting terrified and curled up in a ball; just for the scare of it!
‘Cause this is thriller, thriller night.’
An essential part of the ritual is breaking out my awesome Halloween decorations and filling up the trick or treater candy bowl with first-class, yummy confections. Envisioning kid’s faces as I proudly hand out M&M’s, Reese Cups, Skittles and no candy bowl would be complete without my personal choice – Snickers! As a seasoned Halloween aficionado, the mood wouldn’t be complete without a spooktacular horror classic marathon streaming on the big screen TV!
The ultimate Halloween night experience would include waiting in line with fellow enthusiasts to enjoy a horror classic on the big screen. The first scary movie I remember seeing as a kid is William Castle’s “House on Haunted Hill” and man was I thrilled to be able to re-live my first time when a friend told me a neighborhood theater had a special Halloween presentation of my beloved “House on Haunted Hill”. Cherry on the top was that they also sponsored a Best Costume competition and Best Scream Award. It was everything I could hope for; even performing the movie’s gimmick, the flying skeleton!
Vincent Price in ‘House on Haunted Hill’
This Halloween, movie friends, Turner Classic Movies and Fathom Events is presenting in select theaters nationwide, a special double feature screening of the 1931 Universal Horror Classic, Dracula starring Bela Lugosi and Helen Chandler as Mina Harker. Based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. In addition to the original, moviegoers will also enjoy the added treat of the Spanish version starring Carlos Villarías as Conde Drácula and Lupita Tovar as Eva Seward.
Long thought lost, a print of Spanish Dracula was discovered in the 1970s and restored. I own and love my Legacy Collection DVD which was released in 2004 and contains both versions. The collection also includes – Dracula’s Daughter (1936) Son of Dracula (1943) starring Universal’s Wolfman, Lon Chaney, Jr. and House of Dracula (1945). A must-own addition for every classic horror movie fan’s collection. For ticket information about the Dracula Double Feature, check out Fathom Events or your local theater.
Trivia: For a period of time in Hollywood, studios would produce Spanish language version films for overseas distribution, using the same sets. Tod Browning directed the English production which was shot during the day. George Melford (who did not speak Spanish) was the director for the Spanish version, filming during the evening. The Spanish crew had the advantage of watching the English dailies when they came in for the evening, and they would figure out better camera angles and more effective use of lighting in an attempt to “top” it. There are critics who believe the Spanish production was better, incorporating more interesting and varied camera angles and perspective. I agree with the critics point that this production explored more visual dimensions and created more overall excitement. It also had a sexier edge.
Dracula 1931 – Spanish Version
So, if you have the opportunity, I highly recommend adding this special event to your calendar. If you do attend, let me know your reaction in the comments.
Back in the day, when Michael Jackson released a new tune it became a television event. The announcement of the date and time of the video was always anticipated by the fans. We would arrange our schedules to make sure not to miss the latest and greatest from the King of Pop. But with the release of Moonwalker, Michael took the debut event to a whole other level!
What we witnessed that night was a game changer.
Michael Jackson: Moonwalker (1988). Not just one video but an anthology style film compilation of long form videos including the songs: Smooth Criminal and Leave Me Alone. Releasing these songs in this format was unique to TV and the times and proved Michael’s mastery and revival of the film short.
Leave Me Alone was a “Michael Vision”, dead-on rebuttal to all the gossip and rumors about Michael’s life including Bubbles the chimp and did he really buy the bones of the Elephant Man? (watch for MJ dancing with elephant man bones)
Smooth Criminal features the most dynamic and straight up coolest choreography ever!!! And “the lean” shut up!!
Michael was granted a patent for the hitching mechanism which was built into the floor of the stage and the performers shoes.
Danger abounds with Annie and her friends (including John Lennon’s youngest son Sean), storm troopers, machine guns and a pint sized imitation of Michael by “baby bad Michael.”
A truly innovative project with probably one of the most mangled lyrics in music history. “Annie are you walking?” No!! It’s “Annie are you okay?”
So without further adieu, the smoothest moves of the Smooth Criminal.
Those of you who read my posts on a regular basis know I’m a big time fan of classic movies. My interests include all genres and typically those from legendary directors like Alfred Hitchcock and Billy Wilder. Melodrama and classic Sci-Fi rate high on my favorite movie lists and the best television source I’ve discovered and my go to for “all things film” is the Turner Classic Movies channel.
As program host, Robert Osbourne brings a style and wealth of cinema knowledge respected by both enthusiasts and Hollywood legends alike. Osbourne is a graduate of the University of Washington’s School of Journalism and has over 30 years experience writing about film and Hollywood. In 1977, he started his career as a columnist for The Hollywood Reporter and the following year published 50 Years of Oscar which won him the 1979 National Film Book award. He served as President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association in 1981, a position he would be re-elected to for the next two years. In 1994, Ted Turner created Turner Classic Movies as a competitor to American Movie Classics (now known as AMC). Osborne was selected as the host of their nightly broadcasts as well as special one-on-one “Private Screening” interviews and the weekly feature “The Essentials.”
This month we celebrate Mr. Osbourne’s 20th Anniversary with a tribute to his memories and moments of sharing rare, golden Hollywood era and restored film classics from the TCM vault. For a retrospective of Mr. Osbourne’s beginnings as host, films and Hollywood legends that have visited and shared their stories, tune in on September 15th at 5:30am (I know, way too early – I’m going to DVR the special:) on your local cable channel or visit online at: http://www.tcm.com for complete details and the upcoming TCM schedule.
TCM’s library of films spans several decades of cinema and includes thousands of film titles. The channel has licensing agreements with such studios as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Warner Bros, Entertainment. They also have movie licensing rights with Universal Studios, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Studios, Selznick International Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Studio Canal and Janus Films. With such an extensive collection, we are treated to program features such as “31 Days of Oscar”, “Star of the Month”, “Silent Sunday Night”, “TCM Remembers”and numerous original programming broadcast specials.
Twenty-Four Seven there’s always new movies to discover, old titles to revisit and an extensive background of cinema and film history. You can’t go wrong. Turner Classic Movies – For Movie Lovers Everywhere!
In a previous post I talked about maybe being a little anal about the rules for Saturday and Sunday afternoon movie watching. I shared my rules for Saturday afternoon movie viewing which is B-horror and science fiction. I also shared 3 of my favorite flicks. The Blob (1958), The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) and The Tingler (1959). (hope you check ’em out)
So, for Part 2 I’m showcasing Sunday and my criteria for some great classic melodrama.
I love melodramas because they can be so over the top and cathartic (think movie therapy) and there’s no better day to indulge than on a lazy Sunday, vegging on the couch, better yet if it’s a rainy day.
According to dictionary.com:
Melodrama – Exaggerated and emotional or sentimental, sensational or sensationalized: over dramatic.
Bette Davis is my favorite Melodrama Diva! Talk about emotional and dramatic, she had those attitudes down pat. With her I find myself either talking back to my TV screen or weeping. (this is why rain helps) So, let’s find out about “The First Lady of the American Screen:
Bette was known for her no-nonsense, no-holds barred personality and wasn’t afraid to take on unsympathetic character roles. In the RKO film Of Human Bondage (1934), she played such a character as Mildred, the cruel and vicious waitress. A film adaptation of the 1915 novel of the same name by W. Somerset Maugham. This melodramatic adaptation about a crippled doctor’s destructive and compulsive passion for this coarse waitress was advertised with the tagline on one of its posters: “The Love That Lifted a Man to Paradise…and Hurled Him Back to Earth Again.”
In her 1st major, critically acclaimed part she insisted on looking hideous to depict the ravages of the disease tuberculosis on the human body. She wasn’t nominated for an Oscar but so impressed fellow artists that they insisted she be a write-in on the ballot.
Let’s take a look at her 10 Oscar nominations and 2 wins:
1935: Won for Dangerous, as a self-destructive, alcoholic actress (really a make-up for not winning Of Human Bondage)
1938: Won for Jezebel, as a self absorbed 1850’s southern belle whose insistence on wearing a red-dress to a formal affair (white = chaste) brings scandal and disapproval. Her man “Pres” Henry Fonda was too through with her.
1939: Nominated for Dark Victory, as Judith Traherne, an impetuous, terminally ill Long Island socialite. (yes that’s Bette with a drunken Ronald Reagan) Big time tear-jerker! – Bette’s favorite!
1940: Nominated for The Letter, as a low-down, adulterous murderer who has absolutely no remorse for blowing her lover away. However, karma is a bitch.
1941: Nominated for The Little Foxes, as Southern aristocrat Regina Giddens – that girl put the cold in cold-blooded.
1942: Nominated for Now, Voyager, as Charlotte Vale – a dowdy, overweight, spinster, abused by her mother but fights back and achieves a starling transformation in body and spirit. An incredible performance! My absolute favorite Bette Davis role!
Charlotte on the edge of a well deserved nervous breakdown:
Charlotte’s journey:
1944: Nominated for Mr. Skeffington, as Fanny Skeffington, a woman so conceited that she tries to steal her daughter’s boyfriend, loses her looks after an illness but still has the nerve to treat her husband like dirt and still believe she can have any man – no way. In the end she learns the hard way that “a woman is beautiful when she’s loved and only then.” (too bad it’s after her husband goes blind in a concentration camp)
1950: Nominated for All About Eve, as Margo Channing an insecure Broadway star challenged by the younger, conniving Eve – “Fasten your seat-belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.” It was selected in 1990 for preservation in the United States National Film Registry and was among the first 50 films to be registered.
1952: Nominated for The Star, as Maggie, a washed-up actress trying to revive her career. Notably, at this time in Bette Davis’ career, she was struggling for roles despite her body of work. Bette’s ego was blamed.
1962: Nominated for What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, as the demented Baby Jane Hudson who tortures and terrorizes her sister Blanche (Joan Crawford) Much like their real life rivalry. This role renewed her success and paved the way for other deranged characters in such films as: Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte (1964) and The Nanny (1965)
♦♦♦♦
Bette continued to perform in film and on television in the 70’s and 80’s. In 1983 at the age of 75 she had a mastectomy as a result of breast cancer. Nine days later she suffered a stroke. Despite her failing health she continued to work until her death in 1989.
This is an in-depth retrospect of “The First Lady of the American Screen”
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (August 13, 1899 – April 29, 1980)
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock aka “Master of Suspense” was a British born director known for his mastery of the suspense and psychological thriller. He was an innovator using film editing (cuts) as the basis to construct a film. He poked, stabbed and forced us to face our fears, obsessions and compulsions.
Hitch is one of my favorite directors because of his fearlessness. He used a voyeuristic style and cuts to let you see inside the heads of his leading characters. Rear Window (1954) is a classic example of his style as the audience becomes the voyeur along with James Stewart’s character. We go along with Hitch and peer through the windows of Stewart’s neighbors and cross a line we otherwise wouldn’t.
In Psycho (1960) we peer through the peephole with “Norman Bates” (Anthony Perkins) and end up rooting for this very troubled individual. Not allowing patrons to enter the theater after Psycho started was a great gimmick. His most fearless move was what occurred in the first 45 minutes of the film. Now that’s risk and genius!
In 1992, the US Library of Congress deemed the film “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Now, meet Hitchcock as he takes us through the Bates Motel and the events that occurred. This is Sir Alfred in all his shocking glory.
Although Hitchcock is legendary for his film editing genius, Rope (1948 ) proved to be his ultimate experiment. Instead of using film editing, he would shoot the movie in one long sequence. Stopping only to change the camera role. Like filming a play. Each role of camera film holds about 10-12 minutes of film.
The set was insane with flying walls and furniture. Jimmy Stewart once remarked about placing his drink on a table, turning back around and not only was the drink gone but the table it was sitting on. Everyone had to be on their mark and not drop a line because if anything went wrong they had to do everything all over again. Hitchcock said the film just about killed him!
A Little Hitchcock History:
His first directing assignment, Number 13, began in 1922 but unfortunately wasn’t finished due to financial issues. His big break came in 1927 with the completion of his thriller The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog. The plot revolved around a search for a Jack the Ripper type of serial killer and mistaken identity. Hitchcock’s first thriller is ripe with mood and the German Expressionist influence. A taste of things to come in Hitch’s repertoire, it was a commercial and critical success.
Hitchcock’s tenth film, Blackmail was released in 1929 and considered Britain’s first talkie. It also starts his usage of landmarks as a tradition and appears in the longest cameo of all his films.
The 39 Steps (1935) is widely considered the best of Hitchcock’s early films and made him a star in the U.S. It also branded Hitch’s obsession with the cold blonde, sophisticated leading lady which Grace Kelly would come to epitomize. Then there’s the infamous “MacGuffin.” A reoccurring plot device that actually had no real significance to the story-line. A decoy. Just another Hitch thing.
Alfred Hitchcock’s films were produced in Britain until in 1939. When David O. Selznick signed him to a seven year contract, Hitch relocated to the United States with his wife Alma Reville (his closest collaborator) and his daughter Patricia Hitchcock.
Alma Reville was an accomplished director, writer, editor and producer in Britain before she met Hitch while working at Paramount‘sFamous Players-Lasky studio in London, during the early 1920s. Patricia Hitchcock appeared in several of her dad’s films including: Psycho, Strangers on a Train and Stage Fright.
Rebecca (1940) was Hitchcock’s first American film. It won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Hitchcock was nominated for Best Director but did not win. In fact, although nominated five times, he would never be afforded that honor.
In honor of the 1 year anniversary of Robin Williams passing, my original post tribute.
My heart was deeply saddened by the news of Robin Williams’ passing. Even though we’d never met, the news hit like losing an old friend. He made me laugh in ways and places that were utterly unique and hilarious! Listening to tributes not just from Hollywood but from my own friends, it’s stunning how his genius and sincerity as a human being reached beyond the stratosphere. His true gift was being able to listen, internalize and transform his energy into a non-stop series of humor and insights that no one has ever done before. I’ve followed his career from the beginning in the late 1970’s with his stand-up routines. His first TV performance as “Mork” from Ork on Happy Days resulted in his own series Mork and Mindy in 1978. His subsequent films and stand-up performances were the ultimate proof of his unlimited talents and abilities.
In celebration of his genius and the man, here are some of my favorite Robin Williams moments:
Thanks so much Robin for all the joy, laughter and love you shared with us all.
Set in Erie, Pennsylvania 1964, Tom Hanks‘ film – “That Thing You Do” chronicles the road to fame escapades of the fictional one-hit wonder group – “The Wonders” (the original spelling was “Oneders”, often mispronounced, The” O-need-ers”, a running gag in the movie. 🙂 This was Hank’s directorial debut and was written by and co-starred Hanks who plays the band’s manager, Mr. White. It was produced by Jonathan Demme, Academy Award winning director of The Silence of the Lambs (1991).
The plot involves drummer Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) sitting in with the band after their regular drummer, Chad (Giovanni Rabisi) breaks his arm leap frogging over a parking meter before the annual Mercyhurst College talent show. Really?! At the show, Guy’s feeling good and goes with his gut, making one little alteration to “That Thing You Do”, the number they’re performing at the show. And we’re off and running!
Guy’s drumming is awesome, he changes the song tempo of “That Thing You Do” from ballad to upbeat, Faye calls Guy’s playing “wonderful” hence band’s name, teen girls dance, Villapiano restaurant gig, Tom Hanks signs the band changing the spelling from “The Oneders” to The Wonders. Boom! Number 1 hit record!
The rest, as they say, is one-hit wonder history.
Lenny (Steve Zahn) by far is my favorite Wonder! He gets it. Enjoy the moment. He’s relaxed, funny and always the life of the party. When asked a question by a reporter during their State Fair Tour he replies with a sorta crazy nasally sounding voice: “Oh I’m not here with these fellas, I gotta pig in competition over at the livestock pavilion and I am gonna win that blue ribbon!” Leaving the reporter with a stupefied look on his face. Classic Lenny. Priceless!
It’s a fun-filled musical ride well worth the viewing!
See the Cast of ‘That Thing You Do!’ Then and Now
Front Row: Tom Hanks, Liv Tyler, Tom Everett Scott. Back Row: Jonathon Schaech, Ethan Emery, Steve Zahn.
The Nicholas Brothers were a famous African American team of dancing brothers, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold (1921–2000). Their highly acrobatic technique (“flash dancing“), demonstrated such a high level of artistry and daring innovations that they were considered by many to be the greatest tap dancers of their day.
Growing up with musician parents (mother played piano and father drums) who had their own band, the brothers were surrounded by some of the best Vaudeville acts of the time and became stars of the jazz circuit during the heyday of the Harlem Renaissance . Fayard and Harold went on to have successful careers performing on stage, film, and television well into the 1990s.
Their signature move was to leapfrog down a long, broad flight of stairs, while completing each step with a split. This move was performed to perfection in the finale of the movie, Stormy Weather . In my humble opinion, the “Jumpin’ Jive” dance number in Stormy Weather was the greatest movie musical sequence of all time!
Nicholas Brothers – Jump!
Another signature move was to arise from a split without using their hands.Gregory Hines (with brother Maurice – tap dancing brother and father team Hines, Hines and Dad) declared that if their biography were ever filmed, their dance numbers would have to be computer generated because no one now could emulate them. Ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov once called them the most amazing dancers he had ever seen in his life.
The Nicholas Brothers influenced every dancer that came after. Including Michael Jackson. Here they are together on the Jackson’s TV Show.
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