What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Fading Fast]

Bureau of Missing Persons from 1933 with Pat O'Brien, Bette Davis and Lewis Stone

• Not quite sure what they were trying for with this, at times, documentary style picture and, at times, traditional movie about a big city's Missing Persons Bureau, presented here as a critical Police department with a large budget and devoted officers passionately looking for missing persons

• The movie does reveal that the bulk of the missing persons are husbands or wives who've run away to lovers or they are teenage children running from abuse or neglect

• One story has a very modern feel: a child prodigy violinist runs away because he wants a "normal" childhood, which his mother seems to understand, but the father will have none of that and just wants to milk the son - it's a '30s version of some of today's sport-driven-parent stories

• If there is a central plot, it's that Pat O'Brien, a young rising star detective, feels "above" his new assignment with the Missing Persons Bureau, but then he gets wrapped up in an apparent missing-wife story (Bette Davis), which twists into an embezzlement and murder story that has him both seeing the value of the Bureau and the value of a young and blonde Miss Davis

• At just over an hour, and with O'Brien and Davis firing out dialogue at warp speed, the movie (1) flies by (once she gets into it), (2) is a quirky but fun early talky and (3) has really neat time travel to the '30s - cars, clothes, architecture and cool police technology (pictures sent over phone lines, radio broadcasts to patrol cars, etc.)

 

[AmateisGal]

Larceny, Inc. with Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, and Jack Carson. Robinson is just a delight to watch. This is the first time I've seen this movie, but I'll be adding it to my DVD collection!

Now watching All Through the Night with Humphrey Bogart, Conrad Veidt, and Peter Lorre with a great performance by Judith Anderson. The mob takes on the Nazis in New York City!

TCM has just been a godsend to me these past three years.

 

[Touchofevil]

SPEW!!!!! That last line was comedy gold! You made my evening! Mwa ha ha ha ha.... What kills me about both those guys is that they take this crap so SERIOUSLY! Segal looks like an ape tackling Shakespeare... Snort!

Da "You're killin' me man" Worfster

Seagal and Norris taking themselves so seriously is part of what makes them much more comical than they mean to be. As for their ability to act, it appears to me that they play the same character in every movie and they do it poorly each time. One would think that accidentally they might get a little better. I guess they just got better at doing it poorly.

 

[Touchofevil]

Another viewing of Out of the Past on TCM. A first time viewing for Lady ToE; she enjoyed it. A nice easygoing mid morning.

 

[Fading Fast]

Tokyo Joe from 1949 with Humphrey Bogart, Alexander Knox and Sessue Hayakawa

• All the elements of a decent post-war international-intrigue movie are here - many recycled from earlier successful efforts like a little movie call Casablanca - but they just don't gel

• Bogie plays a former WWII serviceman who owned a bar in Japan before the war who returns to Japan to restart his old life only to find that:
  • To restart the bar he, effectively, has to partner with the Japanese mafia (and for some confusing and shady reason needs to also start a freight airline - he was an army pilot)
  • His former girlfriend, whom he thought was dead, has married - oh, and she and her new (rich) husband (Knox) are raising Bogie's and her kid as their own (Bogie didn't know she had the baby - wartime and all)

• Hence, the bar owner of a shady establishment (sounds like Rick's Café Américain) is involved in a love triangle (like Rick-Ilsa-Laszlo) where the other man is an upstanding citizen (who even looks like Paul Henreid) trying to help Japan rebuild (not the same as fighting Nazis, but that hero opportunity, thankfully, only came around once in the 20th Century)

• And, yes, Rick, excuse me, Joe (Bogie), after learning the truth about his former girlfriend and new husband - gets drunk and bangs the table in despair (without "As Time Goes By" playing)

• There's some other stuff in here about his former girlfriend forced to do pro-Japanese radio broadcasts during the war to save her child and former Japanese military leaders planning to subvert the American occupation (and occupation which is given a heck of a positive propaganda push), but it all just slushes along unconvincingly

• Other than some interesting on-location shots of post-war Japan, there's not a lot here that you haven't seen done better in other movies

N.B. Does this remind anyone of a scene from Casablanca?

 

[Fading Fast]

Another viewing of Out of the Past on TCM. A first time viewing for Lady ToE; she enjoyed it. A nice easygoing mid morning.

You inspired me, so I watched it today. I feel the same every time - Mitchum's character should have been allowed to live.

 

[Edward Reed]

I try to watch a vintage flick every weekend.... Friday I watched (1942) A Yank on the Burma Road...

it turned out to be quite interesting and cool. almost could have called it Indiana Jones and the Burma Road

then I tried to do a double feature and only got a third of the way through A Yank in the R.A.F. so I need to finish that one soon...

 

[Trenchfriend]

Started "Das Boot" uncut (TV series) DVD, 282 min, right now, just for a short test this night. Will watch tomorrow nonstop.

13 year old DVD-Player. The other is 15.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Boot, uncut TV series, 282 minutes nonstop.

PS:
But it's true. It's not totally uncut!
Two short dialogues from the 1981 cinema cut between Lt. Werner and Chief Engineer at the Cpt. speech in La Rochelle are cutted.

 

[MisterCairo]

The Usual Suspects with our girls, as we introduce them to our generation's classics.

Our 11 year old is a chatty Cathy asking "who is that, what is he doing, why is she doing that.....".
during everything we watch.

You can only imagine what it was like during THAT film...

 

[Fading Fast]

The Dark Horse from 1932 with Warren William, Guy Kibbee and Bette Davis

Not all movies are art; some are entertainment and that's more than good enough and harder to do than it may seem or almost all movies would be entertaining.

And not all good movies have great or original stories, for some, having strong actors who engage the audience is enough.

The Dark Horse isn't movie art and the story - a political party puts up an empty suit as a candidate and then creates a compelling campaign around him, led by a brilliant-but-dicey campaign manager - wasn't new in '32, but it's executed pretty well here and, more importantly, it has outstanding actors to carry the material over its rough spots.

And not only carry but engage as Williams is wonderful as the alimony-dodging, fast-talking, truth-spinning and womanizing campaign manager. He's more picaresque scoundrel who loves playing the game than evil villain.

Fortunately for him and the movie, he meets his match in preternaturally mature Bette Davis (before the production code decided women were rarely smarter than men) who, as his secretary / junior business partner, plays his conscience as she sees through almost all his BS while reining him in each time he's about to get out over his skis.

And help he needs as his ex-wife - spiteful, greedy and malicious - is ready to have him jailed for missed alimony while he tries to earn money (in part to pay her) managing the campaign of bland, dull and stupid Guy Kibbee.

The drama builds as the ex-wife calls the police, candidate Kibbee almost exposes his complete lack of qualifications and William pushes Davis to marry him while she, intrigued (he has charm), ducks and dives his advances afraid he'll never reform his Casanova and slippery ways.

Her smarts - she gets who Williams and Kibbee are and the game being played - and how she manages to keep those two reasonably in line is the glue that holds this movie together. It's acting elevating the material above itself. And that's the entire movie as there's nothing spectacular here other than the actors.

But what actors they are as Warren Williams is at his best as an enjoyable rogue, a ridiculously young Davis lifts every scene she's in with her aborning-but-outsized acting talent and Kibbee brings a silly joy to his role as the idiot candidate. And if we're complimenting actors, a hat-tip is also owed to perennial character actor Frank McHugh as William's happy but flummoxed factotum.

The Dark Horse is entertainment, not art, driven by actors who learned early how to practice their craft in the new world of "talkies." This story was told before and would be told again and again, but it's fun to see an early version with so much on-screen talent making a basic script enjoyable as heck to watch.

 

[Bushman]

The Grapes of Wrath. This is the second time I've seen this movie, and I appreciate it now far more than I did in high school. Though I do recall enjoying the book in high school.

 

[Julian Shellhammer]

Going back a week -

A family member had not seen the Avengers Endgame movie, so we watched it again. Whew- almost every Marvel character but Kid Colt showed up. The Missus and I agree the closing little vignette is the best.

Then, sometime later, it was Blossoms in the Dust (1941) with Greer Garson as Edna Gladney, who led the fight to discontinue listing "illegitimate" on a child's birth certificate. She ran the Texas Children's Home and oversaw adoptions of orphans and "foundlings." Man, oh, man, I could barely keep it together through this movie.

As if that weren't enough, last night it was Stella Dallas (1937) with Barbara Stanwyck. The subject matter - sacrificial motherhood - could go dangerously close to extreme sentimentality, but dir. King Vidor and Stanwyck keep it solid. Anne Shirley, as Laurel Dallas, does an amazing job going from 13 to about 20 over the course of the story.

 

[Fading Fast]

42nd Street from 1933 with a whole bunch of stars and stars-to-be.

This is not my type of movie - a "let's put on a show" movie doesn't excite me the way it does so many other; so, while I've seen twenty minutes of it here and there over the years, I never sat down to watch it from beginning to end until now.

Now that I did, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but I'm still not a "let's put on a show" movie kinda guy. Guy Kibbee - a wonderful character actor - as the wealthy man who puts up the money for the show so that he can sleep with the star (let's not kid ourselves) is way too creepy by todays' standards to be enjoyed. I assume the newer versions of 42nd Street have altered this defining aspect somehow.

But one thing it did highlight is how starved Broadway was for capital in the Depression as everyone from the successful producer to the guy who sweeps up after the show is excited about somebody putting up money for a show - anyone, any show.

With that spark, all the things we are used to, but that might have been pretty fresh in '33, happen: unemployed actors and actresses come out of the woodwork trying to get parts; the bigger stars feign disinterest while biting their nails in private; the money people argue over the details in the contracts while almost everyone outwardly denies what they all really know - a Broadway show is just one big gamble.

After that, it's all the stress of, well, putting on a show: actors fall in and out of love and lust, which distracts the production; producers yell; actors cry; numbers are rehearsed - a lot of chorus line and '30s song and dance numbers - as we build to the climax. And the climax has everything we've come to expect: will the money guys pull their money at the last second; the big star might not go on; the unknown ingenue might have to save the show (can she?) - and then it's showtime.

(I guess spoiler alerts if I am not the last person on earth who hadn't seen 42nd Street.) The show starts; the chorus girl subbed into the staring role stumbles a bit but rises to the occasion; a bunch of reasonably famous numbers are done; the show ends; the crowd roars; the now new star bows and the famous producer listens to the exiting crowd to, happily, discover that the audience really did love it. After that, a few loose relationship issues are tied up and 42nd Street ends.

Having never seen it before, it's clear how influential it has been on many other productions; also, the cast of stars and soon-to-be stars almost overwhelms and the numbers are, overall, enjoyable. But while it was enjoyable enough, I went in and came out still not being a "let's put on a show" movie kinda guy.

 

[Worf]

"Three Comrades" - Put out in '38, a year before war broke out in Europe this tear jerker revolves around 3 buddies who survived the trenches of WWI only to find themselves all but down and out in 1920's Berlin. They scrape by doing repairs on cars and trying to run a limo business and all is well until one of them falls in love. All three of them accept the girl and practically push the two lovebirds to marry. But she has a secret... a tragic secret. All the actor's do a bang up job and... despite the heavy foreshadowing of tragedy to come I was thoroughly engaged... right up to the tear stained end (yeah I was cryin' you wanna make sumthin' of it????). Not great cinema but effective. You can see the beginnings of the coming storm but until war broke out the 'brownshirt" angle was soft pedaled. Germany was still a big market for Hollywood. Still if you've an hour and a half to spare... you could do a lot worse.

Worf

 

[Worf]

A.L.I.E.N.S

DVD Extended Cut, on my brilliant CRT TV.

The best Vietnam-movie on Sci-Fi.

Still breathtaking optics.

The finest "rear guard" action ever put to screen. A desperate run for it against an overwhelming enemy! On the edge of my seat every time. As different from the first as night and day but it's sooooo good!

Worf

 

[Zombie_61]

City Heat (1984). Set in the early-1930s, Private Investigator Mike Murphy (Burt Reynolds) and Police Lieutenant Speer (Clint Eastwood) reluctantly team up to investigate a murder. Featuring Jane Alexander as Murphy's tough-as-nails assistant Addy, a host of actors including Madeline Kahn, Rip Torn, Richard Roundtree, Irene Cara, and Tony Lo Bianco, and directed by Richard Benjamin, this "what might have been" movie unfortunately falls flat on a number of levels. I can think of worse ways to spend 93 minutes, but I can also think of a lot of much better ways.

 

[AmateisGal]

It's a Burt Lancaster and Nick Cravat afternoon! First up was THE FLAME AND THE ARROW and now I'm watching CRIMSON PIRATE. Both are on TCM on Demand. I swear, I wouldn't survive this world if I didn't have TCM. No, I am not being hyperbolic; it has gotten me through many a horrible time.

 

[AmateisGal]

View attachment 236536
42nd Street from 1933 with a whole bunch of stars and stars-to-be.

This is not my type of movie - a "let's put on a show" movie doesn't excite me the way it does so many other; so, while I've seen twenty minutes of it here and there over the years, I never sat down to watch it from beginning to end until now.

Now that I did, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but I'm still not a "let's put on a show" movie kinda guy. Guy Kibbee - a wonderful character actor - as the wealthy man who puts up the money for the show so that he can sleep with the star (let's not kid ourselves) is way too creepy by todays' standards to be enjoyed. I assume the newer versions of 42nd Street have altered this defining aspect somehow.

But one thing it did highlight is how starved Broadway was for capital in the Depression as everyone from the successful producer to the guy who sweeps up after the show is excited about somebody putting up money for a show - anyone, any show.

With that spark, all the things we are used to, but that might have been pretty fresh in '33, happen: unemployed actors and actresses come out of the woodwork trying to get parts; the bigger stars feign disinterest while biting their nails in private; the money people argue over the details in the contracts while almost everyone outwardly denies what they all really know - a Broadway show is just one big gamble.

After that, it's all the stress of, well, putting on a show: actors fall in and out of love and lust, which distracts the production; producers yell; actors cry; numbers are rehearsed - a lot of chorus line and '30s song and dance numbers - as we build to the climax. And the climax has everything we've come to expect: will the money guys pull their money at the last second; the big star might not go on; the unknown ingenue might have to save the show (can she?) - and then it's showtime.

(I guess spoiler alerts if I am not the last person on earth who hadn't seen 42nd Street.) The show starts; the chorus girl subbed into the staring role stumbles a bit but rises to the occasion; a bunch of reasonably famous numbers are done; the show ends; the crowd roars; the now new star bows and the famous producer listens to the exiting crowd to, happily, discover that the audience really did love it. After that, a few loose relationship issues are tied up and 42nd Street ends.

Having never seen it before, it's clear how influential it has been on many other productions; also, the cast of stars and soon-to-be stars almost overwhelms and the numbers are, overall, enjoyable. But while it was enjoyable enough, I went in and came out still not being a "let's put on a show" movie kinda guy.

I'm not sure what it is, but I have a VERY hard time watching movies from the very early 1930s. Even 1938 or 1939 is pushing it a bit. My "sweet spot" for movies is 1940 through 1962.

Also, if the film itself is in bad shape and is not clear and grainy, I can't watch it, either.

 

[Fading Fast]

I'm not sure what it is, but I have a VERY hard time watching movies from the very early 1930s. Even 1938 or 1939 is pushing it a bit. My "sweet spot" for movies is 1940 through 1962.

Also, if the film itself is in bad shape and is not clear and grainy, I can't watch it, either.

My well-restored recommendations for you to (full disclosure of my agenda) change your opinion would include "Dinner at Eight," "His Girl Friday" (a top-ten all time for me - Rosalind Russells is incredible), "Robin Hood" (has you written all over it) and "The Petrified Forest." Okay, I can't stop, "Holiday," "King Kong," "Jezebel," "The Thin Man," I'll stop, but I don't want to.

Edit Add: I assume you've already made exceptions for "Wizard of Oz" and "Gone with the Wind."