Immortal Ephemera - Latest Comments

Re: Ann Sheridan – Search for Beauty Contest Winner Before the Oomph

Cliff Aliperti — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 11:07:04 -0000

Thanks, R.A.! Thought it was a neat "origin story" myself and bookends my old Panther Woman post nicely!

Re: Ann Sheridan – Search for Beauty Contest Winner Before the Oomph

R.A. Kerr — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 10:08:49 -0000

I had no idea of how Ann Sheridan came to be. Great post!

Re: Captain Blood (1935) Action Energized by Errol Flynn and Korngold’s Score

Cliff Aliperti — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:16:25 -0000

Thanks for the clarification, David. Unfortunately my knowledge of classical music runs about two Wagner tunes deep, so odds were against me picking up on those origins. Well, at the very least, fantastic choices and incorporation in the movie, which I'm always so happy to hear is a favorite! Thanks again!

Re: Captain Blood (1935) Action Energized by Errol Flynn and Korngold’s Score

David Boswell — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 07:33:03 -0000

A great score, indeed, but a large part of it is taken from two works by Franz Liszt: Mazeppa, and Prometheus (the sword fight). My fave Flynn film too!

Re: Ann Sheridan – Search for Beauty Contest Winner Before the Oomph

Cliff Aliperti — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:17:59 -0000

Thanks, Becky! Love her in Kings Row ... just wish there were even more of her there.

Re: Ann Sheridan – Search for Beauty Contest Winner Before the Oomph

ClassicBecky — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:20:52 -0000

I love Ann Sheridan -- did a little tribute to her myself a while back. She was a beauty with the feel of a real girl, makeup and such aside. And such a good actress -- her part in King's row is essential to keeping the story from being too melodramatic. Wonderful piece, Cliff -- I did not know most of the story you told.

Re: Ann Sheridan – Search for Beauty Contest Winner Before the Oomph

Cliff Aliperti — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:59:43 -0000

She could do the tomboy or the sultry vixen, be just as sexy either way and, you're right, do it with dignity! Thanks for reading, Pearl!

Re: Ann Sheridan – Search for Beauty Contest Winner Before the Oomph

Pearlruth — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:49:34 -0000

Such a lovely item. Ann Sheridan was really a great favourite in England when I first got interested in films when I was a child. She had all the 'sweater' shots, never revealing too much the way they do today. Dignified exposure!! She was so elegant.

Re: The Racket (1928) Starring Thomas Meighan, Louis Wolheim and Marie Prevost

Cliff Aliperti — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 01:02:49 -0000

I thought Ryan was okay but (confession) I'm not a big Mitchum fan in general so I don't know if a reversal would have helped much for me.

I agree Talman was very good and stood out all the more for me this time because his part was so small in the earlier version. I thought the ending was very soft compared to the earlier movie--I don't want to spoil it for others reading but this should be innocent enough out of context. The fact that the Mitchum character was so bright that he had a man on the fire escape really galled me for some reason. I much preferred the almost tortured Meighan in the aftermath to the carefree Mitchum holding his chin up.

For me the 1928 production had a big feel to it; the 1951 felt like busy work for some big actors.

Re: The Racket (1928) Starring Thomas Meighan, Louis Wolheim and Marie Prevost

Patricia (Caftan Woman) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:43:46 -0000

Perhaps the "soundie" would have been helped if the Roberts had switched roles. They both seemed a little "off" or maybe bored to me. Talman was terrific though. If only he and Ray Collins knew what was in their future. When it comes to "The Racket", the 50s isn't a patch on the 20s in my book.

Thanks for expanding my knowledge about a favourite. It wasn't until last night's screening that I caught who Turck was. Always something new to learn, isn't there?

Re: Alma Rubens – The Tragic End of Mrs. Ricardo Cortez

Cliff Aliperti — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:14:22 -0000

I wonder if Cortez ever talked about her later in his life. I haven't gone looking for that info, so I wonder if it's out there.

Re: Alma Rubens – The Tragic End of Mrs. Ricardo Cortez

JOBILL — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:03:50 -0000

It is a shame that they couldn't make a go of it...They were the both of them two
good people...And maybe they should have been honest with one another..

Re: Stuart Erwin, Biography of ’30s “Comic Valentine” Turned Early TV Star

Cliff Aliperti — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:57:55 -0000

Thanks for reading. He can go a bit over the top for me in some things, but I find him extremely likable when he scales it back a little. If you happen to like '50s sitcoms I definitely recommend clicking over to that YouTube channel I link too. I've gotten a big kick out of the few episodes of his show that I've watched so far.

Re: Stuart Erwin, Biography of ’30s “Comic Valentine” Turned Early TV Star

Judy — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:33:02 -0000

Very interesting to read this - I haven't seen much of Erwin's work but like him a lot in Ceiling Zero.

Re: Tom Mix Site Index

Cliff Aliperti — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:16:48 -0000

Hi, feel free to write me at things@things-and-other-stuff.com

Re: Tom Mix Site Index

D Richardson — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:36:01 -0000

You should shoot me a mail. I have found a Tom Mix postcard that I can not find anywhere I have looked yet.

Maybe you can help me identify it. o

Re: The Corpse Came C.O.D. (1947) and the Hollywood Gossip Columnists

Cliff Aliperti — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 08:44:06 -0000

I like Brent too, though mostly his earlier stuff (something I seem to say of everybody!).

I was interested in seeing Blondell in something from this era a little less known than Nightmare Alley or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and about all I can say on that count is, I guess I did! (Looking at her credits I'd also seen Adventure, but it's a bit foggy in my memory).

So, did you think it was a good surprise or was it too far out of left field for you?

Re: The Corpse Came C.O.D. (1947) and the Hollywood Gossip Columnists

Paula — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 20:13:19 -0000

Forgot to say, thanks Cliff for the info on the gossip columnists :)

Re: The Corpse Came C.O.D. (1947) and the Hollywood Gossip Columnists

Paula — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 20:12:21 -0000

I just watched this today, I was only in it for Brent and Blondell. It did manage to surprise me and the soundtrack did annoy me. I thought it had some really crisp cinematography in it. (I can find something good in any George Brent movie though.)

Re: Collecting the Toronto Star Weekly

dantower — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 17:31:43 -0000

I was on the cover of the star weekly dec 1966 the boy who fell off the train ist it possible to find a copy tower430@gmail.com

Re: TCM’s 31 Days of Oscar – 3 Lists, 18 Picks for February 2013 on TCM

Cliff Aliperti — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 10:15:09 -0000

Glad you enjoyed my lists, R.A. I only watched Farmer's Daughter recently for the first time myself and thoroughly enjoyed it. It wasn't the movie I expected at all (that one would have been about Swedish farmers!). Thanks again!

Re: TCM’s 31 Days of Oscar – 3 Lists, 18 Picks for February 2013 on TCM

R,A, Kerr — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 12:42:31 -0000

Thank you for these lists. The Farmer's Daughter has been on my list of "Movies I Need To Watch" for quite some time and I would have completely overlooked it if you hadn't put it on your list. Whew!!!!

Re: TCM’s 31 Days of Oscar – 3 Lists, 18 Picks for February 2013 on TCM

Cliff Aliperti — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 13:31:03 -0000

Thanks so much, Laura, glad you liked the direction I took!

I'm embarrassed I haven't gotten to the Landers stuff yet, but as my Reckoner image goes to show, I have been absorbed in this week's stuff featuring Richard Dix.

I've really got to get that Ty Power Matinee Collection.I have the other Power set and the Matinee is one of the few old box sets I've yet to grab. If I ever see it hit $25 I'll be a buyer!

Re: TCM’s 31 Days of Oscar – 3 Lists, 18 Picks for February 2013 on TCM

Laura — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 11:50:38 -0000

Cliff, I love your approach here! These are some great lists. You know I'm pretty sympathetic to your feelings about February on TCM -- good thing I still have a backlog of Lew Landers movies (grin).

It's kind of amazing titles like THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER and I MARRIED A WITCH still aren't out on DVD!

BLOOD AND SAND isn't one of my favorite Ty pictures because the story is dark, but that said, it's really gorgeous Technicolor, with not one but two beautiful leading ladies.

Incidentally, I highly recommend Power's remake of BERKELEY SQUARE, a film you mentioned above -- the Power version is called I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU or alternatively THE HOUSE IN THE SQUARE.

Best wishes,
Laura

Re: Midnight Mary (1933) Starring Loretta Young, Ricardo Cortez, Franchot Tone

Cliff Aliperti — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 07:26:27 -0000

Thanks, Karen! I'm with you on Cortez, especially when he's nasty though. He smiles a bit too much for me when he's playing nice, but that comes off as menacing in parts such as this.