Crawdaddy's "Random Thoughts" about Home Video, Film & TV (6 Viewers)

[Matt Hough]

Wayne, I had the opposite reaction to the guitar-strummed background music: I liked it a lot reminding me of the use of the zither in The Third Man as an unusual and almost hypnotic kind of accompaniment to the story.

And I really liked the movie, too, as it was such a change from the run-of-the-mill contract killing story. I loved his deliberate methodology before actually committing a murder, and I appreciated the gore being minimized. I found Vince a most effective leading man, almost a blank slate against which his two "nursemaids" were wonderful contrast to him. The print they showed looked very good.

 

[Robert Crawford]

 

[Robert Crawford]

Wayne, I had the opposite reaction to the guitar-strummed background music: I liked it a lot reminding me of the use of the zither in The Third Man as an unusual and almost hypnotic kind of accompaniment to the story.

And I really liked the movie, too, as it was such a change from the run-of-the-mill contract killing story. I loved his deliberate methodology before actually committing a murder, and I appreciated the gore being minimized. I found Vince a most effective leading man, almost a blank slate against which his two "nursemaids" were wonderful contrast to him. The print they showed looked very good.

I had the same reaction! I did see some of this movie beforehand as it was previously on the Criterion channel. I never finished it for some reason, but, I do remember the movie up to the point when they first scouted the home. Also, I watched Scorsese's 5 minute introduction to the film that is on "Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics 1" DVD set. As I suspected, he saw this movie for the first time with some buddies when it was part of a double feature as a young teenager. They ended up liking this movie better than the other movie which was "The Journey". Scorsese stated he did come to like "The Journey" years later. He borrowed some stuff from "Murder by Contract" for "Taxi Driver". The exercise sequence. An enjoyable "B" movie made on shoestring budget in 7 days.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

Wayne, I had the opposite reaction to the guitar-strummed background music: I liked it a lot reminding me of the use of the zither in The Third Man as an unusual and almost hypnotic kind of accompaniment to the story.

And I really liked the movie, too, as it was such a change from the run-of-the-mill contract killing story. I loved his deliberate methodology before actually committing a murder, and I appreciated the gore being minimized. I found Vince a most effective leading man, almost a blank slate against which his two "nursemaids" were wonderful contrast to him. The print they showed looked very good.

Okay, somehow I confused a zither with a balalaika as the repetitive music from The Third Man. Just don't tell me it wasn't repetitive piano notes in Eyes Wide Shut or I promise to hang up my ears.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Today, I watched the "Sorry, Wrong Number" (1948) BD from Imprint and compared it to the 2002 DVD as well as the iTunes HD Digital. IMO, it's a huge improvement over the 2002 DVD and looks to be derived from the same source used for HD digital. It looks like Paramount was going to release this on BD back in 2009, but didn't do so according to some of the bonus material. Eddie Muller mentioned in his Introduction that they were preparing a HD release. He also was part of the 31 minute featurette "Hold the Phone: The Making of Sorry, Wrong Number" and it has a 2009 timestamp at the end of the doc. IMO, the introduction. documentary and audio commentary by Alan B. Rode happened about the same time.

Man, after watching this movie again Stanwyck was acting her ass off in this film. In the intro, Eddie noted from his perspective that Barbara Stanwyck was the best actress in the history of Hollywood. Some might argue, but damn, she was really good. A long time ago, I read somewhere that her hair turned gray during the filming of this movie due to the hysterical emotional sequences. A terrific supporting cast except I agree with Rode, that Ann Richards was miscast and the part would have been better played by Kristine Miller, who was originally cast for that part, but got bumped down to just a small part in the movie. Perhaps, it wasn't Richards fault as her dialogue was a little clunky especially in one sequence. I didn't know that Lucille Fletcher, who wrote the original radio play and the screenplay for the movie was married to Bernard Herrmann. I think they divorced after the movie opened, but were married for about ten years.

 

[Cranston37+]

I didn't know that Louise Fletcher, who wrote the original radio play and the screenplay for the movie was married to Bernard Herrmann. I think they divorced after the movie opened, but were married for about ten years.

Lucille Fletcher. Louise was the actress in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

 

[Robert Crawford]

Lucille Fletcher. Louise was the actress in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

Yet, you knew who I meant.

 

[Cranston37+]

Yet, you knew who I meant.

I actually didn't - I thought you were saying he was married to the actress and when I looked it up I saw there was another woman named Lucille

 

[Robert Crawford]

I actually didn't - I thought you were saying he was married to the actress and when I looked it up I saw there was another woman named Louise

 

[Robert Crawford]

Unlike one review I read today, I was totally impressed by Kino's BD release of "Whispering Smith" (1948) starring Alan Ladd, Robert Preston and Brenda Marshall. Based on previous home video format releases of this Technicolor movie, I wasn't expecting much and was pleasantly surprise how beautiful the video presentation looked on my 65" OLED. My video presentation rating is 4.5 as it's a huge improvement over the 2004 DVD. Frank Faylen's role in this movie always freaked me out with his albino look. Ladd at his best playing the title character, a railroad troubleshooter tracking down killers and thieves for the railroad. Preston as his best friend going astray is also very good in this movie. With that said, I'm not a fan of Brenda Marshall in this particular movie. I don't know why, perhaps it's just me.

 

[English Invader]

Unlike one review I read today, I was totally impressed by Kino's BD release of "Whispering Smith" (1948) starring Alan Ladd, Robert Preston and Brenda Marshall.

The closest thing I've seen to this is Shane which I really enjoyed. The railroad building aspect of this film sounds interesting. Might give it a look.

 

[Robert Crawford]

The closest thing I've seen to this is Shane which I really enjoyed. The railroad building aspect of this film sounds interesting. Might give it a look.

It if wasn't for "Whispering Smith", he might not have been selected to do "Shane". There is a lot of gunplay by Ladd in this movie.

 

[Cranston37+]

Thanks to Eddie Miller's recommendation, I will be giving this a spin in the car today. How can it not be amazing!?

 

[Johnny Angell]

@Cranston37 Robert Mitchum sings?

 

[Cranston37+]

@Cranston37 Robert Mitchum sings?

Sure does!

 

[English Invader]

He also sings quite memorably in The Night of the Hunter (Leaning on the Everlasting Love).

 

[Robert Crawford]

He also sings quite memorably in The Night of the Hunter (Leaning on the Everlasting Love).

God, I love that movie and his version of that song! It scared the crap out of me, when I first saw the movie on TV when I was about 10 years old back in the mid-1960's. He sings very well in "Rachel and the Stranger".

 

[Robin9]

When he was a boy, Robert Mitchum sang in the church choir. I once saw him on television singing Little Ol' Wine Drinker Me, and singing it rather well too.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. People with talent are often multi-talented. I think it’s why I’ve got none. The talented people are hoarding it.

 

[Robert Crawford]

When he was a boy, Robert Mitchum sang in the church choir. I once saw him on television singing Little Ol' Wine Drinker Me, and singing it rather well too.

Robert Mitchum was originally from my hometown of Bridgeport, CT. One of my great uncles was a childhood friend until Mitchum moved away when he was about 11 or 12 years old. My uncle used to talk about him all of the time. Those boys were always in some kind of trouble. He couldn't believe that Mitchum became a movie star as his prospects during their youth was more towards being a criminal.