Crawdaddy's "Random Thoughts" about Home Video, Film & TV (3 Viewers)

[Hollywoodaholic]

Who is RW?

Edward G. Robinson's character was Professor Richard Wanley; the key piece of evidence against him was the cigarette holder with his initials RW on it. I was not trying to be facetious, maybe a bit ghoulishly humorous (hey my career started at National Lampoon), but the character had a choice. Yes, his career and marriage would be threatened or ended by his potential disgrace. But the idea that he had to actually die... by suicide, was his choice. At least he didn't have to worry about being turned into Soylent Green.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Sahara (1943) starring Bogart is available on iTunes in HD for $4.99!

It’s a Wonderful Life is now in 4K/Dolby Vision on iTunes. It’s still only in HD on Vudu and Amazon Video. Luckily, I bought the HD download on iTunes for $4.99 last year so it’s now 4K/Dolby Vision.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Today, I watched "Bright Victory" (1951) on TCM app via iTunes. A good movie that I haven't seen in a very long time. It's about a blinded WWII veteran returning home making the necessary adjustments in order to live a productive life with his blindness. The film tackles a whole bunch of adjustment issues regarding disabled veterans as well as racial bigotry as the main character is from Florida and develops a friendship with a blinded African-American soldier that he doesn't realize is black until later on after he uses a racial epitaph. For a 1951 film, it was interesting to see how they handled that subject matter as well as some others regarding disabled veterans and their adjustments as well as those of their families and friends to their handicap. Arthur Kennedy plays the main character in which he was nominated for Best Actor, the same year that Brando with " A Street Car Named Desired", Bogart with "The African Queen", Montgomery Clift in "A Place in the Sun" and Frederic March in "Death of a Salesman" were nominated for that award. A really strong class of acting performances that year. Kirk Douglas got shutout that year even though he was great in "Ace in the Hole" and "The Detective Story".

Also starring in this film's cast were Peggy Dow, James Edwards, Julie Adams, Will Geer, Jim Backus, Richard Egan, Murray Hamilton and a brief role for a young Rock Hudson.

 

[Matt Hough]

Talk about a powerful Best Actor line-up! I wonder if that's the best group of five performances in the history of that category?

 

[Robert Crawford]

Talk about a powerful Best Actor line-up! I wonder if that's the best group of five performances in the history of that category?

At the minimum, it has to be among the strongest class of Best Actor nominations in one year.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This morning on Filmstruck I watched "Love Affair" (1939) the best film version of this storyline about two people that make a date to meet at the Empire State Building in six months, but tragic circumstances gets in the way. Another great RKO film that has less than pristine video presentation due to RKO's poor film elements. Furthermore, this fine film has been in public domain hell for decades which doesn't help. It's a shame that one of the best and most underrated movie studios assets are in such bad shape. Again, RKO was the most underrated movie studios just look at their movie output during the 1930s and 1940s before Howard Hughes basically ruined them.

 

[Mark-P]

Now that was a strange western film. An angel named Michael is sent from heaven to earth in 1887, to a Montana mining town to correct an error in which a man was born without a soul due to a book keeping error. This particular man was meant to become a leading citizen with goodness in his heart so Michael must convert him, but without performing any miracles as instructed by higher angels. Complicating his task is a gunman named "Treason aka Mr. Scratch" that is already associated with this soulless man and who knows who Michael is and why he's come to town. I had very vague memories of this film as I watched it today, but it had to be several years since I've seen it, perhaps, when I was a kid, but I did remember certain sequences like the ending. Anyhow, it's not in the class of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" or "Heaven Can Wait". It's about a 2.5 rating with 5 being the highest film score. The cast was good as Robert Cummings plays Michael with Brian Donlevy playing the targeted soulless man with Gerald Mohr playing Mr. Scratch. Also in the cast is Marjorie Reynolds, John Litel and Edgar Kennedy, who I almost didn't recognized in the film.

I gave it a shot as well on the Watch TCM app. Peculiar film indeed! I didn't know what to make of it.

Spoiler

Did he end up getting a soul or not? And how weird that the kid hitched a ride to heaven. So I guess his mother thought, ah he's a goner anyway, so just take him! I apologize if my cynicism offends anyone.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I gave it a shot as well on the Watch TCM app. Peculiar film indeed! I didn't know what to make of it.

Spoiler

Did he end up getting a soul or not? And how weird that the kid hitched a ride to heaven. So I guess his mother thought, ah he's a goner anyway, so just take him! I apologize if my cynicism offends anyone.

Spoiler

Yes, his better angel started to take over, but he's still was a work in process, but I think that school teacher would keep him on the straight and narrow as his wife and soulmate. As to the sickly boy, I think Michael's angelic presence gave the mother comfort to let her son go with him. Similar to how people reacted to Jesus in certain biblical films like "King of Kings". Sure, it's sentimental and probably implausible in real life, but it's a movie.

 

[Mark-P]

Spoiler

Yes, his better angel started to take over, but he's still was a work in process, but I think that school teacher would keep him on the straight and narrow as his wife and soulmate. As to the sickly boy, I think Michael's angelic presence gave the mother comfort to let her son go with him. Similar to how people reacted to Jesus in certain biblical films like "King of Kings". Sure, it's sentimental and probably implausible in real life, but it's a movie.

Makes sense. Apparently there were several characters in the film who could sense what Michael was and what he represented.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Makes sense. Apparently there were several characters in the film who could sense what Michael was and what he represented.

Yes, remember that pivotal scene with Edgar Kennedy's character.

 

[Mike2001]

This morning on Filmstruck I watched "Love Affair" (1939) the best film version of this storyline about two people that make a date to meet at the Empire State Building in six months, but tragic circumstances gets in the way. Another great RKO film that has less than pristine video presentation due to RKO's poor film elements. Furthermore, this fine film has been in public domain hell for decades which doesn't help. It's a shame that one of the best and most underrated movie studios assets are in such bad shape. Again, RKO was the most underrated movie studios just look at their movie output during the 1930s and 1940s before Howard Hughes basically ruined them.

I love this movie. I went through a number of public domain DVDs before finding a watchable one. I understand that a restored version will be shown at the TCM film festival in Hollywood next spring. I hope it comes to Blu-ray afterwards.

 

[Robert Crawford]

At my local cinema today I saw "Widows" (2018). A very good caper film with female robbers and much better than "Ocean's 8" in my opinion. It just had superior writing, direction and acting than "Ocean's 8".

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm in the middle of watching and listening to John Carpenter's audio commentary for "The Thing From Another World" (1951). One of my favorite films of all-time. This will make my third viewing this year alone of it. Hopefully, there will be a fourth viewing in 1080p before the year is out.

 

[Matt Hough]

At my local cinema today I saw "Widows" (2018). A very good caper film with female robbers and much better than "Ocean's 8" in my opinion. It just had superior writing, direction and acting than "Ocean's 8".

Reading some of the press releases for this movie, it sounded infinitely more appealing than Oceans 8 which seemed a clear and unnecessary rehash of Oceans 11.

 

[SeanSKA]

Talk about a powerful Best Actor line-up! I wonder if that's the best group of five performances in the history of that category?

And Kennedy won the NY Film Critics Award that year for his performance

 

[Matt Hough]

And Kennedy won the NY Film Critics Award that year for his performance

That might have been the impetus that nudged him past Kirk Douglas in Detective Story for that final slot in the nominations list.

 

[Robert Crawford]

That might have been the impetus that nudged him past Kirk Douglas in Detective Story for that final slot in the nominations list.

Frankly, I thought Douglas was better in "Ace in the Hole" than "Detective Story".

 

[Matt Hough]

Frankly, I thought Douglas was better in "Ace in the Hole" than "Detective Story".

But Ace in the Hole was a flop and Detective Story was a hit; hence the way I think the nominations would have gone if it had happened. Also, having both the same year may have split his votes and thus no nomination. Hard to know but fascinating nevertheless.

 

[Robert Crawford]

But Ace in the Hole was a flop and Detective Story was a hit; hence the way I think the nominations would have gone if it had happened. Also, having both the same year may have split his votes and thus no nomination. Hard to know but fascinating nevertheless.

True on both points!

 

[Robert Crawford]

I haven't spent much time watching movies the last few days. More of my time was spent buying them on disc and digital.

Today, I will finish up "The Thing from Another World" Carpenter audio commentary as it appears I'll have my Blu-ray of it next week. Also, I'm going to watch my Criterion Blu-ray of "The Killing" (1956) which is on "Noir Alley" tonight and tomorrow morning.