Rita Hayworth – Steal a Show
A eveningpause: From the 1947 musical Down to Earth, where Hayworth places the goddess of dance, who comes down from heaven to save the show.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
Tag: movies
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
An afternoon pause: This TV movie, the first ever, was produced by NBC and first aired in 1957. It subsequently played every Christmas season for most of the next decade. It has been forgotten in the ensuing years, something I think must be rectified, especially for the children of today. It is clever, sophisticated, innocent, entertaining, and above all, firmly American in every way.
Thus, I will now renew that past tradition.
An afternoon pause: This TV movie, the first ever, was produced by NBC and first aired in 1957. It subsequently played every Christmas season for most of the next decade. It has been forgotten in the ensuing years, something I think must be rectified, especially for the children of today. It is clever, sophisticated, innocent, entertaining, and above all, firmly American in every way.
Thus, I will now renew that past tradition.
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
A mid-day pause: As I now do practically every Christmas, I bring you the classic 1951 version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, starring Alastair Sim. In my opinion still by far the best adaption of the book and a truly wonderful movie.
And as I noted in a previous year:
Dickens did not demand the modern version of charity, where it is imposed by governmental force on everyone. Instead, he was advocating the older wiser concept of western civilization, that charity begins at home, that we as individuals are obliged as humans to exercise good will and generosity to others, by choice.
It is always a matter of choice. And when we take that choice away from people, we destroy the good will that makes true charity possible.
And in 2016 I said this:
I watched this again and felt like weeping, not because of the sentimentality of the story itself but because it is so seeped in a civilized world that increasingly no longer exists. There was a time when this was our culture. I fear it is no longer so. As noted by the Spirit of Christmas Present, “This boy is ignorance, this girl is want. Beware them both, but most of all beware this boy.”
It seems for the past few decades we have not heeded that warning, and are now reaping the whirlwind.
A mid-day pause: As I now do practically every Christmas, I bring you the classic 1951 version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, starring Alastair Sim. In my opinion still by far the best adaption of the book and a truly wonderful movie.
And as I noted in a previous year:
Dickens did not demand the modern version of charity, where it is imposed by governmental force on everyone. Instead, he was advocating the older wiser concept of western civilization, that charity begins at home, that we as individuals are obliged as humans to exercise good will and generosity to others, by choice.
It is always a matter of choice. And when we take that choice away from people, we destroy the good will that makes true charity possible.
And in 2016 I said this:
I watched this again and felt like weeping, not because of the sentimentality of the story itself but because it is so seeped in a civilized world that increasingly no longer exists. There was a time when this was our culture. I fear it is no longer so. As noted by the Spirit of Christmas Present, “This boy is ignorance, this girl is want. Beware them both, but most of all beware this boy.”
It seems for the past few decades we have not heeded that warning, and are now reaping the whirlwind.
Thanksgiving repost: Miracle on 34th Street
An evening pause: This was posted in 2023. Time to repost.
Original text:
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This movie used to be a tradition for television on Thanksgiving. At that time the holiday was well linked with the then joyous and relatively Christian Macy’s Day Parade (now warped into a queer agenda demonstration). [Editor: an agenda that thank god appears to be on the run.]
I think it makes for a good opening to the holiday season.
Marilyn Monroe – Lazy
An eveing pause: From the Hollywood film There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954).
Hat tip Judd Clark.
Lena Horne – Stormy Weather
Renée Zellweger – Roxie
Silvana Mangano – Mambo
Renewing the heroic Superman of America
George Reeves as the heroic Superman as envisioned
in the 1950s television show, emulated later by Richard
Donner in his 1978 movie. Click for show’s opening credits.
Not surprisingly, the newest Hollywood attempt to tell the story of Superman appears by all accounts to be on the verge of another movie disaster, for all the usual reasons. Though the first weekend receipts were acceptable, a closer look suggests they also have feet of clay. When compared with the 2013 attempt to reboot the 1978 classic Richard Donner film, the numbers do not look that good.
Now, look at the number of tickets sold:
Estimated tickets sold opening weekend:
MAN OF STEEL (14.3M)
SUPERMAN (10.7M)Sometimes a win isn’t quite a win.
The article also notes that the movie is having problems attracting foreign audiences.
The reviews meanwhile have been horrible. Take for example this review:
I’ve seen a lot of superhero movies, and this one — given the level of investment involved, the promotional push, the iconic nature of the character and the importance to the future of DC and Warner Bros. — is by far the worst. I would have left the theater if I hadn’t gone with a friend. There are minor Marvel entries with more to their credit than this. It doesn’t even manage to be fun.
Why should this new movie about the first true American super-hero standing for “truth, justice, and the American way” be having problems at box office? Isn’t the story exactly the kind of thing audiences love and normally consume with eager anticipation?
The problem is that this modern Superman movie is not about “truth, justice, and the American way.” Instead, the film’s director and producer, James Gunn, decided it should instead be about “truth, justice, and the human way,” a statement that is not only meaningless and carrying far less substance, it is a slap in the face of the very noble American ideals of this very American legend.
» Read more
North By Northwest (1959) Filming Locations, then and now
An evening pause: Put together by NYC in Film. For the background of how they relocated each location see here.
Hat tip Wayne DeVette.
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Eve pause: As I have done now for several years on Christmas day, I bring you the classic 1951 version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, starring Alastair Sim. In my opinion still by far the best adaption of the book and a truly wonderful movie.
And as I noted in a previous year:
Dickens did not demand the modern version of charity, where it is imposed by governmental force on everyone. Instead, he was advocating the older wiser concept of western civilization, that charity begins at home, that we as individuals are obliged as humans to exercise good will and generosity to others, by choice.
It is always a matter of choice. And when we take that choice away from people, we destroy the good will that makes true charity possible.
It is also most important that we all heed the words of Christmas Present: ‘This boy is ignorance, this girl is want. Beware them both, but most of all beware this boy.’”
Grissini Project – Merry go round of Life
An evening pause: The music is by Joe Hisaishi, from Hayao Miyazaki’s 2004 animated film Howl’s Moving Castle.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
Mae West – I Wonder Where My Easy Rider’s Gone
An evening pause: From the 1933 film She Done Him Wrong. And yes, the young guy you see is Cary Grant. Sadly the print here is old and fuzzy, but a newer reprint is not available on line.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
House on Haunted Hill
An evening pause: For Halloween, I have decided to bring back this wonderfully staged classic from 1958, starring Vincent Price and directed by William Castle. No blood, no gore, but the worth every minute.
Gina Lollobrigida – Pagan dance
An evening pause: I think this makes a great start to the weekend. Clips from the 1959 movie Solomon and Sheba, centered on Gina’s pagan dance as Sheba, and edited to a piece of music by Dead Can Dance, called Cantara, which the youtube website labels “genuinely pagan music.” If you want to see the original film, go here and go to about 90 minutes. In the original, God steps in to stop all this hanky-panky.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
An evening pause: I think this makes a great start to the weekend. Clips from the 1959 movie Solomon and Sheba, centered on Gina’s pagan dance as Sheba, and edited to a piece of music by Dead Can Dance, called Cantara, which the youtube website labels “genuinely pagan music.” If you want to see the original film, go here and go to about 90 minutes. In the original, God steps in to stop all this hanky-panky.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
Mireille Mathieu – La Marseillaise
An evening pause: Performed live in 1989, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower. What I especially like are the English subtitles, because for some reason this song is rarely translated. Knowing the meaning of what they are singing in the scene in the movie Casablanca makes that scene even more moving.
Hat tip Tom Biggar.
John Gabriel & Nelson Riddle – El Dorado
An evening pause: I think this song quite fitting to end the summer season. Sung by George Alexander, it plays over the opening credits to the classic 1966 John Wayne film of the same name, directed by Howard Hawks. The magnificent paintings that form the backdrop to the credits were painted by Olaf Wieghorst.
My daddy once told me what a man ought to be.
There’s much more to life than the things we can see.
And the godliest mortal you ever will know
Is the one with the dream of El Dorado.So ride, boldly ride, to the end of the rainbow.
Ride, boldly ride, till you find El Dorado.
Dorothy Dandridge – Cow Cow Boogie
Luca Stricagnoli – For A Few Dollars More
An evening pause: A magnificent cover of this classic Ennio Morricone film score. If you want to hear a compliation of all of Morricone’s western scores, go here.
For me however Morricone’s score for Cinema Paradiso remains my favorite.
Hat tip Mike Nelson.
Salomé’s Dance
An evening pause: Music by Charles Barber. This comes from the 1913 silent film, Salomé, based on an Oscar Wilde play. Rarely seen, the movie represents a very early attempt to do something “edgy”. It succeeds about as well as modern “edgy” films, showing us a very shallow representation of human existence. But the visuals give us a glimpse into that early film world, when sets and costume were usually the only way to show something strange and striking.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
Jean Harlow
An evening pause: A look back at early Hollywood, and someone who was then a big star and a great comic actor but who is mostly forgotten today.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
Fred Astair & Ginger Rodgers – The yam dance
Voidwalkeraudio – Desire
An evening pause: The visuals come from the 1927 German film by Fritz Lang, Metropolis, and cover the scene dubbed “Maria’s Dance.” You can see the full movie here, as well as many other places on line.
Hat tip Judd Clark, who adds, “To understand what’s going on here, one needs to see the whole movie, preferably the latest restored version, and to really understand, one needs to read Lang’s wife Thea Von Harbou’s book “Metropolis”.
Ann-Margret – Dancing to Tequila
An evening pause: From the Youtube page:
Ann-Margret set to the Champs’ eternal hit “Tequila”. Scenes from “Viva Las Vegas” (1964), “Bye-Bye Birdie” (1963), “Made in Paris” (1966), “The Swinger” (1966) and “The Tiger and the Pussycat” (1967).
Hat tip Judd Clark.
Gene Kelly & Cyd Charisse – Gotta Dance
Maurice Jarre – Lawrence of Arabia
An evening pause: Performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra. I think this makes for a good way to start the weekend. If you have time, get the movie and watch it. One of the greatest ever made.
Hat tip Doug Johnson.
Ed Wynn, Julie Andres, Dick Van Dyke – I Love to Laugh
An evening pause: From the 1964 film, Mary Poppins. I post it to celebrate my birthday. I saw this movie in the theater that year, as an eleven-year-old, and its optimistic and hopeful look at existence has never left me, even now in these dark times. If only today’s adults would focus on teaching these same positive and hopeful lessons to their own children.
Rodgers & Hammerstein – There is Nothin’ Like A Dame
Miracle on 34th Street
An evening pause: This movie used to be a tradition for television on Thanksgiving. At that time the holiday was well linked with the then joyous and relatively Christian Macy’s Day Parade (now warped into a queer agenda demonstration).
I think it makes for a good opening to the holiday season.
The Bride of Frankenstein
An evening pause: For Halloween, the 1935 classic, one of the greatest horror films ever made, directed with style and originality by James Whale.