Trivia Time Part 27 - The Answers

Well, looks like it was a good week for Trivia Time. Only one and a half questions were not answered. Good work, everyone! Here is what you missed:

Who Are We? Saz got Richard Boone and Hugh, but forgot Glen Corbett in Big Jake.

Saz, Richard got it in this one, too.

For #4, the hero of the Clayton Moore Republic Serials was Commando Cody, Sky Marshal of the Universe (later called Commander Cody). Here is a clip from 1952's Radar Men from the Moon.Watch for Clayton in the cave hideout.

Into the West: The River of No Return (1954)

River of No Return (1954). Romantic/adventure/western. Director: Otto Preminger. Cast: Marilyn Monroe, Robert Mitchum and Rory Calhoun.

In the beautiful Northwest Mountains 1875, there is a small town made up tents filled with saloons, gamblers and entertainers trying to make a living. Just released from prison, Matt Calder rides into the city looking for his 9-year-old son, who he had sent there from Illinois. When he finds his son Mark, the boy insists on saying goodbye to Kay, the saloon singer who has been keeping an eye on him. Kay scolds Calder for leaving his son alone. He thanks Kay and quickly leaves. On the ride home, Calder promises Mark that they are going to have a good life together.

At the saloon, Kay's fiance, gambler Harry Weston, rushes in to tell her that he has won a gold claim in a poker game and must go to the city to file the deed. Kay believes that Weston cheated to get the money, but he talks her into go along. Soon, they are floating in a raft down the river toward the big city. They have trouble in the rapids, but fortunately they are near Calder's farm, and are pulled to safety.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Calder tells Weston that he is crazy to brave the river. Weston offers to buy his rifle and horse so that he can ride to the city. Calder says that he needs his rifle and horse to protect the farm. Weston steals the rifle and horse and claims that he will return them, then knocks him out when Calder tries to stop him. Stunned, Kay decides to stay behind and take care of Calder while Weston rides off. When Calder comes to, he sees that Indians have been watching and are about to attack, so he quickly loads Mark and Kay onto the raft and head down the river. Calder watches as the farm is burns. That night, as they camp by the river, Kay tries to explain that Weston is really not a bad man. When she realizes that Calder intends to go after Weston, she tries to cut the raft free, but Calder stops her . He does not understand her devotion to a man who would leave a child to die. She reminds him Harry never killed a man like he did. Mark overhears their argument and Matt is forced to tell the truth about his past to his son. They return to the river and so begins their adventure as they fight off Indians and the elements, trying to keep from starving and trying to learn each others' secrets. The story is charming and beautifully photographed. I thought Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe made a great team. The ending will pull at your heart strings.

FUN FACTS:

The three pairs of jeans that Marilyn Monroe wore in the movie were among a collection of her personal items that were sold for $42,550 at auction at Christies Auction House to designer Tommy Hilfiger.

This movie was not the first meeting of Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. Mitchum had worked at Lockheed Aircraft with Monroe's first husband, James Dougherty. The two had met on at least one occasion during the mid 1940s.

Marilyn Monroe's singing voice was dubbed by Gloria Wood.

Dial H for Hitchcock: Foreign Correspondent...an underrated gem

In 1941 Alfred Hitchcock became one of a select few who have directed more than one film nominated for Best Picture in the same year. What makes this especially significant in Hitchcock's case is that the two of his films nominated for the 1940 award were his very first Hollywood movies: Rebecca and Foreign Correspondent.

Rebecca won the golden statuette, one of nine nominations and two wins, and it remains highly respected today. Foreign Correspondent was nominated for six Oscars but eventually fell into a relative obscurity. Though not one of the director's ultimate tours de force, it is nevertheless a well-made classic that deserves recognition.

The story is set on the eve of World War II. A newspaper publisher (Harry Davenport) is fed up with the fluff his correspondents in Europe have been sending back. He decides to assign an ambitious crime reporter (Joel McCrea) to London in hopes of getting the real story as events unfold. The intrepid reporter eagerly pursues his assignment and in the process uncovers an espionage ring, befriends a trusty pair of cohorts (George Sanders and Robert Benchley) and falls in love with a beautiful woman (Laraine Day).

The film harkens back to Hitchcock's earlier British films and connects with his later films in various ways. As with The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes and other of his British movies, foreign intrigue drives the plot (a scenario Hitchcock returned to several times on later films including Saboteur, Notorious and North by Northwest). The director's penchant for 'doubles' also surfaces here (the diplomat and his imposter, McCrea's character has two names, Herbert Marshall's character leads a double life). Hitchcock also makes effective use of landmark locations, another trademark device.

Foreign Correspondent is a showcase of Hitchcock's cinematic artistry, particularly his mastery of the set-piece. One of the film's most striking features is a series of famous set-pieces that established a high-water mark to that point and set the standard for his later films.

The first involves a political assassination on the steps of Amsterdam Square during a downpour. The sudden, shocking murder is followed by pursuit of the assassin through a visual sea of bobbing umbrellas and into rain-washed city streets.

The next takes place in the Dutch countryside, where McCrea and two others have tracked the assassin. As McCrea takes in the scene from a Frankenstein-ian windmill, he notices that one of the windmills is turning backward, against the wind, and this tips him off that things are amiss. He moves in closer to investigate...

A third is set back in London, where McCrea agrees to take on a bodyguard who is actually a killer (Edmund Gwenn). This jovial henchman repeatedly puts the reporter in harm's way, and their final harrowing scene together takes place in the tower of Westminster Cathedral. The entire sequence is both amusing and terrifying.

Finally, and most dramatically, is the crash of a transatlantic clipper into the sea. Devised long before the advent of sophisticated special effects and CGI, the scene was magnficently and simply conceived. The crash is viewed from the back of a cockpit set. Footage filmed from a stunt plane diving over the ocean was rear-projected onto rice paper at the front of the set. Behind the rice paper were water tanks with chutes aimed at the cockpit windshield so that, at the precise moment Hitchcock pushed a button, water would burst through the paper giving the effect that the plane is crashing nose-first into the ocean. The action surrounding the crash encompasses the chaos and hysteria aboard the clipper when it comes under attack as well as the struggle of passengers to escape the sinking plane and survive on a floating wing.

Though Hitchcock's first choice for the lead was Gary Cooper, Joel McCrea hits all the right notes as the dedicated news hound, a slightly rumpled American everyman. He is ably assisted by Sanders as a wry and eccentric newsman, and Benchley as another quirky reporter. Edmund Gwenn's turn as the affable would-be killer is marvelous; Albert Basserman was Oscar-nominated for his role as an abducted diplomat. Herbert Marshall delivers his usual fine performance as the head of an international group and Harry Davenport is always an asset. Laraine Day is fetching as Marshall's daughter and McCrea's love interest, but doesn't bring much more to the part. In this case either of Hitchcock's original choices, Barbara Stanwyck and Joan Fontaine, would've better filled the bill.

Foreign Correspondent has sometimes been called a propaganda film, and foremost among those making the claim was Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels. Although McCrea's final speech is an impassioned wake up plea to America (and was reportedly added by producer Walter Wanger), it hardly characterizes the film as a whole. In my view, Foreign Correspondent is one very fine brew of mystery, suspense, romance and wit.

What do you think? Love it or hate it, take it or leave it..what are your impressions of Foreign Correspondent?

Studio Logos Tournament: Round One

In the spirit of college basektball's "March Madness," the weekly poll for this month will be replaced by a tournament pitting famous studio logos against one another. For each matchup, the winner will be determined by the studio logo that receives the most votes. The winners "play" each other the next week until, by the end of March, we have a tournament champion. The brackets are shown below (click the graphic to enlarge):

There's always controversy on "Selection Sunday," so feel free to disagree with the logos picked for the tournament. The committee (OK, it was just me) tried to pick a diverse group of well-known favorites, plus a couple of underdogs like The Archers logo.

The two matchups for this week pit Universal against Warner Bros. and 20th Century-Fox against The Archers.

Universal's logo has changed as many as nine times over the years, from an airplane circling the Earth ("It's a Universal Picture!") to the "Art Deco Globe" (shown on the right) to variations of its current color logo.

The Warner Bros. shield may have originated as early as the late 1920s. Although it uas undergone minor tweaks over the years, the "WB" letters within the shield have been there since the early 1930s. The logo pictured here was designed especially for 1938's The Adventures of Robin Hood.

The heavy favorite in this week's second matchup is 20th Century-Fox searchlight logo. It was designed in 1933 by artist Emil Kosa, Jr. for  20th Century Pictures. When 20th Century merged with the Fox Film Corporation in 1935, Kosa redesigned the logo for the new company name.

The Archers logo was born when filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressberger formed their own production company in 1942 called...The Archers. The partnership ended amicably in 1957, though Powell continued to use a variation of the archery shield logo for some of his films.

Those are the matchups for this week. Please cast your votes in the green sidebar on the right. Next week, MGM takes on Republic and Columbia plays Paramount!

Trivia Time - Part 27

Well, it's time to saddle up and get on down the trail with this week's Trivia Time, the Westerns Part 2.

Who Are We? In the 50's and 60's, we had our own TV series, but in the 70's John Wayne sent us to Boot Hill. Who Are We? (One of us he sent there twice.)

#1. Who was the Restless Gun?
#2. Scott Brady was the star of what TV series?
#3. Brain Buster #1 - On the Roy Rogers TV show, what was the name of Pat Brady's Jeep?
#4. Before the Lone Ranger, Clayton Moore was in a few Republic serials as a bad guy. What was the name of the hero?
#5. Who were the stars of the Saturday morning modern Western Fury?
#6. Brain Buster #2. What kind of plane did "Sky King" fly?
#7. Brain Buster #3.Who was the star of Tales of Wells Fargo? On what network?
#8. Brain Buster #4 Name four Bob Hope Westerns.
#9. Joan Hackett was in what two westerns? Who were her co-stars?
#10. Brain Buster #5. In The last scene in The Searchers, John Wayne grabs his arm as a "tribute" to whom?

OK Here is a Big Clue about Sky King's Plane

The Friday Night Late Movie: The Dead Won't Stay Dead in Lucio Fulci's "Zombie"

In New York waters, a boat is discovered floating aimlessly. Two policemen board the vessel and are suddenly attacked by a huge man (who appears to be... uh... decomposing). One officer is killed, but the other shoots the man, who falls into the water. The boat owner's daughter, Anne (Tisa Farrow -- Mia's younger sister), is concerned about her father, who, last she heard, was on an island doing research. She meets a reporter, Peter (Ian McCulloch), and they travel to Matool, the island in question. There they quickly learn that Matool is a place where the natives ceaselessly play drums and practice voodoo. Oh, and the dead stand up, walk around, and have an insatiable appetite for living flesh.

Lucio Fulci's Zombie (1979) was originally released in Italy as Zombi 2. The Italian release of George A. Romero's 1978 Dawn of the Dead was titled Zombie: Dawn of the Dead (and, for good measure, was re-edited by filmmaker Dario Argento and re-scored by rock band/Argento collaborators Goblin). Fulci's movie was initially conceived as a pseudo-sequel to Romero's popular film, but Fulci's work owes more to Jacques Tourneur's classic 1943 I Walked with a Zombie. Dawn of the Dead, as with many of Romero's films, dealt with people dropped into seemingly impossible situations. If you follow his Dead series, you can see characters fighting for survival, but you will also see them adapt: trying to understand the zombies themselves in Day of the Dead (1985) and making an effort to live among them in Land of the Dead (2005). The "horror" is there, but people can endure. Fulci does not offer such hope in his movie. Like Tourneur's film, Zombie is shrouded in a rich atmosphere: an ever-present wind, a sun that seems to hide itself, the sound of drums coming from everywhere. It's not necessarily the zombies that the people need fear. It's an unseen evil that, sadly, is inescapable. This was a characteristic that would carry over to future Fulci films, such as City of the Living Dead (1980/aka Gates of Hell), The Beyond (aka Seven Doors of Death), and The House by the Cemetery (both 1981).

Before Zombie, Fulci had made a variety of films, from thrillers to erotic comedies and Spaghetti Westerns. Not surprisingly, following the success of Zombie, he began to focus on horror films. Fulci is notorious among horror fans for his graphic and gory features, and Zombie is no exception. His films are certainly not for the squeamish, but one cannot write off his films as exploitative. He's a talented filmmaker who delivers the frights, as well as the gory parts. One of his best known gore sequences is from Zombie, involving a splintered door and an eyeball. It's undoubtedly memorable, but it's likely remembered because, for many years, it was cut from multiple video versions. Recent DVD releases have included the scene intact.

The tagline for the American release of Zombie was the rather brazen, "We are going to eat you!" Similarly, Zombie was released in the U.K. as Zombie Flesh Eaters. Fulci is credited as the director of Zombi 3 (1988), but he reportedly only directed part of the film, with nearly half of what appears on screen being helmed by an uncredited Bruno Mattei. The Italian zombie film, After Death (1988), was released in the U.S. as Zombie 4: After Death, while Killing Birds, actually released the year before, was given a U.S. title of Zombie 5: Killing Birds. In the U.K., Zombi 3 and After Death were titled, respectively, Zombie Flesh Eaters 2 and Zombie Flesh Eaters 3.

Fulci, as he typically did, makes a cameo in his film. He plays the newspaper editor who assigns Peter the story on the abandoned boat. In 1996, shortly after making an appearance at the Fangoria Weekend of Horrors (the director's only time at a U.S. film convention), Lucio Fulci died of diabetic complications.

Into the West: James Stewart, Anthony Mann, and a Bell on the Saddle

James Stewart and director Anthony Mann made five classic Westerns together between 1950 and 1955. In order of personal preference, they are: The Far Country; Winchester ’73 (1950); Bend of the River (1952); The Naked Spur (1953); and The Man From Laramie (1955). Although Stewart plays a different character in each film, his protagonists are social misfits that share traits such as bitterness, shady pasts, and, when necessary, ruthlessness. As cowpoke Jeff Webster in The Far Country, his mottos are: “Nobody ever did anything for nothing” and “I take care of me.”

The Far Country begins in Seattle in 1896 with Jeff and partner Ben (Walter Brennan) loading cattle onto a steamer heading to Skagway, Alaska. The boat hasn’t even left the dock when Jeff runs into trouble with the law when two cowhands accuse him of murder. Jeff avoids capture by ducking into a stateroom. Its occupant, pretty saloon owner Ronda Castle (Ruth Roman), hides him from the authorities (in her bed, no less, with her in it!).

Once Jeff and Ben reach Skagway, their real problems start with Jeff running afoul of Mr. Gannon (John McIntire), the town’s self-appointed judge, mayor, and sheriff. Apparently patterned after the real-life Judge Roy Bean, Gannon provides a semblance of law and order as long as he can make a personal profit. While he holds court at a poker table in a saloon, Gannon tells Jeff: “I’m gonna like you. I’m gonna hang you, but I’m gonna like you.”

As with Winchester ’73 and Bend of the River, the narrative goes down several unexpected paths before the final showdown. But the plot is less important in The Far Country than its characters and theme of civilization overtaking the frontier. Even in a small, isolated goldmining community, its residents dream of making it a “real town” with a school, a church, and a sheriff. The townsfolk don’t like Ronda, because her saloons attract the wrong kind of people. Ironically, the townspeople want Jeff to be part of the community (as does Ben), but Jeff rejects that idea. It could be that Jeff resists the notion of civilization conquering the West. As Ben points out, Jeff always keeps going from place to place—talking of settling down one day, but never doing it. Only when he suffers a personal loss does Jeff finally take action against Gannon and his henchmen and become part of the community.

John McIntire stands out among a fine cast, bringing roguish charm to the role of villain. It’s probably his best part in a long, successful career of supporting performances (including the sheriff in Psycho).

Director Mann is also at the top of his game, pitting the clean vistas of white, snowcapped mountains against the muddy streets of the ugly towns. But it’s the little touches like the bell on Jeff’s saddle that make The Far Country memorable. Ben explains that he bought the bell to hang over the door of the house where he and Jeff will settle down (“I like to know when my friends is coming”). It’s not until the final scene that Mann reveals the important role that the tiny bell (which represents community?) will play in the proceedings. Even after the somewhat too convenient denouement, it’s the tinkle of that bell that lingers in memory.

Fonda and Bronson Face Off in Leone's Masterpiece "Once Upon a Time in the West"

"Big," "epic," and "sprawling" are the words critics frequently use to describe this now-revered 1968 Spaghetti Western. Yet, despite its lengthy running time and visually massive backdrop, Once Upon a Time in the West focuses tightly on the relationships among four people over a relatively short period of time. These characters are: Frank (Henry Fonda), a ruthless gunfighter who aspires to be a powerful businessman; Cheyenne (Jason Robards), a rascally outlaw with killer instincts; Jill (Claudia Cardinale), a former prostitute in search of a more meaningful life; and a mysterious revenge-minded stranger whom Cheyenne calls Harmonica (Charles Bronson).

Each character is introduced to the accompaniment of his or her own musical theme, memorably composed by Ennio Morricone. The mood of these themes range from playful (for Cheyenne) to bold and abrupt (Frank) to sweetly old-fashioned (Jill) to eerily disturbing (Harmonica). The last theme--an almost off-key four-note piece--is often played by Bronson's character on the harmonica he wears around his neck.

In addition to the musical motifs, director Sergio Leone employs natural sounds in unique ways throughout the film. For example, the film's opening fourteen-minute sequence contains virtually no dialogue--but we hear cracking knuckles, buzzing flies, water drops plopping, birds, and a train whistle. Later, Leone introduces Cheyenne by letting us listen to a ferocious gunfight from inside a quiet desert cantina.

As in most Leone Westerns, the storyline takes a back seat to the interesting characters and overarching theme, Leone's stylish direction, and some marvelous set pieces. For the record, Jill inherits a valuable property from a husband she hardly knew. Frank, working for a railroad baron, wants the property for its future value as a railroad way station. Cheyenne takes an interest in Jill and decides to protect her.

Harmonica helps Jill and Cheyenne, but his motive is revenge against Frank. Indeed, his reason for wanting to kill Frank is a riddle that lurks in the background until their epic showdown at the film's conclusion. Then, in a concise flashback that immediately procedes the gun shots, Leone reveals the incident that fueled Harmonica’s vengeance.

Bronson and Robards give fine performances, but Henry Fonda steals the film in a great change-of-pace role as a villain who kills defenseless children and kicks out the crutches from underneath cripples. When Frank is making love to Jill, he remarks casually: “I think I might be a little sorry killing you.”

The only subpar performance is from Cardinale, who is also burndened with the least interesting character. Nevertheless, Jill is the strongest female character in any Leone Western and central to the film’s theme. Unlike the male characters, Jill is willing and able to adapt to the “New West.” Frank wants to become a businessman, for example, but he can’t change his violent ways.

Once Upon a Time in the West features one of the best openings of any Western: the aforementioned fourteen-minute sequence in which three gunfighters arrive at a train station to kill Harmonica after he unboards. They walk around the empty town and then wait and wait--and we wait with them as the credits appear slowly across on the screen. After thirteen minutes, the trains finally arrives, but Harmonica is nowhere in sight. As the train pulls out of the station and the gunfighters turn to leave, they hear Harmonica play his eerie tune. They turn around and he becomes visible on the other side of the tracks as the train rolls out of view. That leads to the following exchange:

Harmonica: "Did you bring a horse for me?"

Head Gunfighter (laughing): "Looks like we're shy one horse."

Harmonica (shaking his head): "You brought two too many."

In a flash, guns are blazing and four bodies hit the ground in a matter of seconds. It's a textbook example of how a filmmaker can manipulate his audience's perception of time and space--and it's also an incredible way to start a movie.

Amazingly, Once Upon a Time in the West flopped miserably when released in the U.S. in 1969. Part of its failure can be attributed to Paramount’s poor decision to cut thirty minutes from the film’s running time, thus rendering some of its plot incomprehensible. Still, the film did brisk business in Europe and helped make Charles Bronson an international star (ironically, Leone had tried to convince Bronson to play the Eastwood role in the earlier A Fistful of Dollars). As Leone’s status as a Spaghetti Western auteur grew in the 1970s and 1980s, Once Upon a Time in the West came to be rightfully hailed as his masterpiece.

This Week's Poll: What Is Your Favorite Quinn Martin TV Series?

One of the most successful television producers of the 1960s and 1970s, Quinn Martin was easily the most recognizable—or rather his work was. Often, Martin’s TV series bore one or more of the following traits: (1) a pre-title “teaser” scene; (2) a title sequence that summarized the premise of the show; (3) four labeled “acts” and an epilog; and (4) opening and closing voiceover narration.

Martin got his big break as a producer on The Untouchables in 1960. Its success enabled him to start QM Productions, which, after a shaky start, became a hit factory when The Fugitive turned into a major success. Martin’s subsequent series often dealt with law enforcement and private detectives—though there were intriguing detours with Twelve O’Clock High and The Invaders.

This week’s poll asks you to pick your favorite QM series from the nominees below:

The FBI – Quinn Martin’s longest-running show (1965-74) starred Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. as Inspector Lewis Erskine, who led a team of crack agents in pursuit of the Bureau’s most wanted criminals. The series was not only endorsed by the FBI, but the Bureau actually had approval rights on every fact-based script. Stephen Brooks and later William Reynolds played the young agents learning from veterans Erskine and Arthur Ward (Philip Abbott).

Twelve O’Clock High – This adaptation of the Gregory Peck film aired on ABC for three seasons, though it was never a big hit. For the first year, Robert Lansing starred as the commander of the U.S. Air Force’s 918th Bomb Group, which was stationed in England during World War II. Lansing’s character was killed at the start of the second season and Paul Burke was promoted to the lead.

Cannon – William Conrad, who provided the narration for The Fugitive, got his own QM series in 1971. He portrayed Frank Cannon, a retired LAPD cop, who became a private detective. If his clients could pay, Cannon charged them high fees—so he could indulge his tastes for luxury cars and fine cuisine. At a time when young, good-looking leads were dominating the cop shows, Cannon was a breath of fresh air.

Barnaby Jones – Bubby Ebsen starred as a private detective who came out of retirement to solve his son’s murder. He teams up with his widowed daughter-in-law (Lee Meriwether) and opens up shop again. Barnaby Jones was introduced on a third season episode of Cannon. The two series sometimes conducted “crossovers” in which Ebsen and Conrad would appear on each other’s shows.

The Streets of San Francisco – Shot on location, this police detective drama starred Karl Malden as veteran Lieutenant Mike Stone and Michael Douglas as his much younger, inexperienced partner Steve Keller. When Douglas left after four years, Richard Hatch joined the show as Malden’s new partner for its final season.

The Fugitive – In one of the most acclaimed 1960s dramatic series, David Janssen portrayed wrongly convicted physician Richard Kimble, who tries to find his wife’s murderer while being pursued relentlessly by police lieutenant Philip Gerard. It was still a ratings winner when the series concluded after four years with a memorable final episode where Kimble is exonerated.

The Invaders – Whereas Kimble was the pursued, architect David Vincent (Roy Thinnes) was the pursuer in this show about a secret invasion of Earth by aliens beings from another planet. For most of the series’ two seasons, no one believed Vincent until after their own encounter with the aliens. It didn’t help that the aliens left little evidence—when they died, their bodies glowed orange and disappeared.

Those are the seven nominees! If you believe one of Quinn Martin’s other series was unjustly omitted from the list, I’d love to hear from you. In the meantime, though, please cast your vote in the green sidebar on the right.

Trivai Time - Part 26

Wahoo! The Cafe is going Western this month! I thought I'd kick it off with an all Western Trivia Time. Sazball has the only "free pass" for this week. OK, ready to saddle up and hit the trail?

Who Am I? I've played Watt Earp in two different films. Who Am I?

#1. Name the two films and the directors.
#2. Who was my co-star in the second film? Who did he play?
#3. What film has both Harry Cary Senior and Jr. in the cast?
#4. Brain Buster # 1. Who Played Marshall Simon Fry? In what show or film?
#5. Brain Buster # 2. What do the films: Night Passage, Giant, Duel In the Sun, and Rio Bravo have in common?
#6. Who were the two male stars of the Warners Bros ABC Series Lawman?
#7. Brain Buster #3. What were the three shows in the Warners Bros hour-long rotating format on ABC? Who were the stars?
#8. Brain Buster #4. What classic western had the following actor:  Jack Elam, DeForest Kelly, Lee Van Cleef, and Whit Bissell in the cast?
# 9. Brain Buster #5. Name the three films that Frankie Lane sang the theme song over the opening credits.
#10. Joanne Dru's brother was a famous TV game show host. Who is he? What was the game show?
#11. What was the name of the horse James Stewart rode in most of his 1950's/early 60's westerns?
#12. Philip Carney played the role of Captain Parmalee for all 56 episodes of Laredo who were his two co-stars for all 56 episodes. On what network?
#13. Brain Buster #6. Philip was also famous for doing what series of TV spots?

Love Stories: Where is My Beast? Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast (1946)

This 1946 version of the beloved fairytale Beauty and the Beast, directed by Jean Cocteau, noted artist, poet and filmmaker, is considered to be his masterpiece, which brilliantly blended his personal artistic vision and the elements of wondrous fantasy and enchantment. Cocteau felt that this motion picture would not only help revive the once thriving French cinema but also brighten the lives of his fellow Frenchman who endured six years of cultural darkness under the Nazi occupation. Along with his set decorator, costume designer, composer, and with a little help from famed director, Rene Clement, Cocteau managed to produce a magnificent and enduring evocation of the story''s magical world and the characters who inhabit it.

The idea for a film adaptation came from Cocteau's lover, the actor Jean Marais, and Cocteau believed that this would provide a showcase for Marais' talents, as he would be playing three roles; Avenant, Belle's roguish suitor, the beast, and the prince. For the role of Bellle Cocteau chose Josette Day, who possessed a wholesome and appealing loveliness and in addition had experience as a ballerina.

Filming began in the summer of 1945 not long after the end of World War II. Equipment and material needed for motion pictures was practically nonexistent; cameras, fabric for costumes, film stock and even electricity presented logistic challenges. Cocteau and his talented crew brilliantly utilized the resources available to them. The special effects, disembodied arms protrude from the wall holding candelabras, statues come to life, doors open and close, magic mirrors, and beautiful ball gowns created for Belle by invisible seamstresses, all contributed to the otherworldly aura that Cocteau envisioned for the beast's castle. His desire to have every scene in the film reflect the work of the Dutch Masters, especially Vermeer, were also beautifully realized. A major challenge was the creation of the beast's make up. The filmmakers were lucky enough to find an elderly craftsman who worked painstakingly to create a visage that both defined the contours of Marais' facial structure, but also clearly represented the beast's menacing nature. His brilliantly lit and expressive eyes remained the only visible features of his face.

Other than a few tweaks by Cocteau the scenario follows the basic storyline of the centuries-old tale. We meet Belle's family who are now living in reduced circumstances due to the father's series of financial losses. Belle has two greedy and self-serving sisters and a lazy but ambitious brother. The father has been informed that one of his ships safely reached port and he is summoned to collect his riches. Two of the daughters ask him to bring them valuable presents, while Belle simply asks for a rose. Unfortunately, when the merchant arrives at the docks he is told that his fortune has been handed over to his creditors to pay his outstanding debts and that there is nothing left for him. Forced to return home at night he loses his way and comes upon a mysterious castle in the deep woods. When he calls out he is answered by what sounds like a low roar, and though frightened, he enters the beasts domain, where he finds himself faced with the many magical elements that occupy the beasts living quarters. Although a lavish display of food has been prepared for him, he's too tired to eat and falls asleep. Upon awakening he hastily prepares to return home when he comes across a glorious garden with an unusual rose bush bearing stunning white roses and he picks one for his daughter Belle. Suddenly there is a loud roar and the beast appears, telling the father that plucking a rose is punishable by death. He offers the father a reprieve if he will send one of his daughters to replace him. The merchant is given the use of a horse named Magnificent, who will take him back to his family. Upon arriving home he is chastised by his two daughters and his son for not killing the beast and stealing his riches. Amidst the bickering and accusations the devoted Belle slips away on Magnificent and is transported to the beast's domain.

Belle's odyssey through the various rooms is presented in slow motion creating a dreamlike sequence as she encounters all the enchanted objects occupying every part of the castle. When the beast appears to her she is horrified at first, but he treats her with gentleness and kindness, which allays her fear. He declares that he will join her for supper every evening at seven o'clock and will ask her to marry him each night. As time passes Belle develops a fondness for this creature in whom she recognizes a passionate but impossible desire to be human. The beast has fallen in love with Belle and it becomes increasingly difficult for him to stay away from her, exemplified by one horrific incident when the beast, fresh from a kill, bloodied and feverish, appears at Belle's bedroom door. Shame overwhelms him and he cries out to Belle to close her door. Belle finds herself eagerly awaiting the presence of the beast at dinner even though she refuses his proposal every time he asks. Indeed Belle has quite unconsciously developed a fondness for her captor.

One day the magic mirror discloses to Belle that her father has been gravely ill since her departure and is now on the verge of death. She implores the beast to allow her to visit her father, promising to return. He grants her wish allowing her eight days away from him stating that if she does not return he will die of grief. He gives her the two most valuable objects in his life, the golden key that opens the door to the building which stores his vast wealth; and his glove, which will transport her back to the castle. Belle's return invigorates her father and he makes a recovery; while by his side she sheds tears that turn to diamonds. The rest of her family is not pleased by her return knowing what a great fortune is within their grasp. Avenant joins the plot to murder the beast and steal his riches. The sisters in an attempt to detain Belle so that she will miss her deadline to return, use onions to elicit phony tears as they plead with her to stay. Meanwhile, they have stolen the golden key and given it to Avenant and their brother.

A tormented Beast sends Magnificent to bring Belle back to him, but when the horse arrives, the two would-be thieves mount him and head for the treasure. Afraid to open the door with the key, Avenant suggests that they enter the building through the skylight. By this time Belle has discovered her family's treachery and has also seen an image of the dying beast in the magic mirror that the Beast sent along with Magnificent. In a panic, she uses the glove to return to the Beast in time to save him. She is too late and the Beast is dead. As she cradles him in her arms and is about to declare her love for him, Avenant is killed by an arrow shot by a statue of the goddess Diana, the protector of the Beast's wealth. Belle's brother looks on in horror as the dying Avenant changes into the beast, while the Beast is resurrected as a handsome prince who looks exactly like Avenant. The prince and Belle float gracefully up to his kingdom where Belle will be his Queen.

A happy ending? Yes, but with qualifications. Belle is not overjoyed that the prince looks like Avenant. The prince is aware of this and asks her if she loved Avenant and she replies "Yes". When he asks if she loved the Beast, she also answers "Yes", but with a totally different tone of voice. Her delivery of the second 'yes' makes us believe that she would rather have the beast at her side than the Prince Charming who takes his place. She loved the beast for the gentle soul he truly was, and his ugliness was of no consequence. It is said that at the film's premiere, Greta Garbo shouted from the audience, "Where is my Beast?", echoing Belle's exact thoughts.

Underrated Performer of the Week: Paul Douglas

A versatile actor equally at ease in comedy and drama, Paul Douglas's film career started at age 42 and lasted just eleven years.

Although he was interested in drama in high school, his early jobs centered around sports. After attending Yale, the Philiadelphia native played professional football with his hometown's Frankford Yellow Jackets. That led to radio gigs as a sports announcer and news commentator.

He made his Broadway debut in 1935 in the short-lived Broadway play Double Dummy. Eleven years later, he was working in radio when Garson Kanin offered him the role of gruff scrap-metal tycoon Harry Brock in Born Yesterday. The play was a smash hit, running for 1642 performances over three years, and making stars of Douglas and his leading lady Judy Holliday.

His film career started in 1949 with key supporting performances in A Letter to Three Wives and It Happens Every Spring. The latter, one of my favorite Douglas films, cast him as a likable baseball catcher on the St. Louis Cardinals. Ray Milland stars as a college professor who accidentally invents a formula that repels wood--so when he rubs it on a baseball, no one can hit the ball with a wooden bat. To earn money to marry his girl, Milland joins the Cardinals as a pitcher (it's interesting to note that he cheats by using his formula on some pitches). When Douglas spots the formula in Milland's locker one day, the pitcher tells him it's hair tonic. That sets up one of the funniest scenes in this engaging film--and shows off Douglas's marvelous skills as comedian.

Lead roles and key supporting ones quickly followed:  he was a soft-hearted gangster in Love That Brute (1950); a police captain who works with Richard Widmark to prevent an epidemic in Panic in the Streets (1950); a fisherman involved with Barbara Stanwyck in Clash by Night (1952); and a businessman being blackmailed amid the corporate politics of Executive Suite (1954).

He plays a corporate executive again in my favorite Douglas film: The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956). Paired again with Judy Holliday, Douglas plays a well-meaning CEO who doesn't realize that his board of directors is fleecing the company's stockholders. He and Holliday form one of the great screen couples. It's a shame he didn't reprise his Born Yesterday role opposite her. Allegedly, Douglas declined the part (eventually played by Broderick Crawford) because it was reduced for the film version.

When Paul Douglas died of  a heart attack at 52, he was being considered for the Fred MacMurray role in The Apartment (1960). He had just appeared in an episode of The Twilight Zone called "The Mighty Casey." When the episode was completed, Rod Serling noted that Douglas didn't look well. A few days later, Douglas died. Serling used his own money to reshoot the show with Jack Warden in the Douglas role.

Paul Douglas was married five times. He walked down the aisle with actress Jan Sterling in 1950; they were married at the time of his death.

The Friday Night Late Movie: It! The Terror from Beyond Space

This low-budget, monster-in-a-spaceship film languished in obscurity for 21 years until sci fi buffs hailed it as the inspiration for Alien in 1979. There are similarities between the two movies, but it's still a stretch to claim that Alien borrowed its premise from this earlier film. As Bill Warren points out in his excellent sci fi film encyclopedia Keep Watching the Skies!, both movies owe an immense debt to 1951's The Thing (from Another World). From a film perspective, The Thing pioneered the plotline whereby people battle a hungry alien creature in a confined, isolated setting.

Set in 1973, It! opens with Colonel Edward Carruthers (Marshall Thompson) facing court-martial changes for murdering the members of his Mars expedition. A second spaceship, commanded by Colonel James Van Heusen (Kim Spalding), journeys to the red planet to take Carruthers into custody. Carruthers staunchly maintains his innocence, claiming that his fellow team members were "killed by something--not me."

That something creeps aboard Van Heusen's craft as it blasts off from Mars. After two crew members disappear mysteriously, Carruthers and the others discover the alien stowaway (which even resembles The Thing--with an uglier face courtesy of a fakey rubber mask). The rest of the film concerns the crew's efforts to destroy the creature (played by Ray "Crash" Corrigan). They shoot it with bullets, set booby traps with explosive grenades, hurl gas grenades at it, burn it with a blow torch, and (again recalling The Thing) electrocute it.

Other than the basic premise, the strongest resemblance to Alien is a scene in which the crew confronts the creature in an air vent. The alien uses an injured crew member as bait to lure the other humans into the deadly confines of the vent system. It's one of the few times in the film that the creature exhibits intelligence, a trait which would have made it much more menacing than a lumbering hulk.

It's also unfortunate that director Edward L. Cahn shows glimpses of the creature so early in the film. Screenwriter Jerome Bixby's story opens as a whodunit with no indication of an alien creature's involvement. Therefore, a more intriguing approach would have been for the crew to suspect Carruthers initially when their co-workers began turning up dead. As it is, the film copies The Thing's structure, in which the emphasis is on destroying the monster while suffering as few fatalities as possible.

Despite these limitations, It! The Terror From Beyond Space rates as an above-average, low budget sci fi film. It was Cahn's best effort in the genre, although his follow-up film, 1959's Invisible Invaders, foreshadowed 1968's Night of the Living Dead with its eeries scenes of the dead walking again.

Screenwriter Jerome Bixby's greatest contribution to sci-fi and fantasy was his short story "It's a Good Life." This creepy tale of a young boy who controls an entire town served as the basis for one of The Twilight Zone's most famous episodes (with Billy Mumy as the boy). It was also remade, and significantly altered, as part of Twilight Zone--The Movie.

Bond Is Forever: "Live and Let Die"

In the 1960s, Roger Moore was the star of the popular UK series, The Saint. The actor had reportedly been offered the role of James Bond but had to decline. Following On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), after George Lazenby assumed that one Bond film would be enough to secure a successful film career (it wasn't), and Sean Connery left the series, believing that 1971's Diamonds Are Forever would be the final time he was to portray 007 (it wasn't), Moore made his Bond debut in 1973 with Live and Let Die.

After three British agents, stationed in New York, New Orleans, and San Monique (an island in the Caribbeans), are murdered, James Bond is sent to investigate. The agent in New York had been keeping an eye on Dr. Kananga (Yaphet Kotto), nefarious dictator of San Monique. Bond is eventually led to the Fillet of Soul restaurant, run by a mysterious man known as Mr. Big, who has at least one additional Fillet of Soul in New Orleans (which, as it happens, was being monitored by one of the deceased agents). Bond gets help from Solitaire (Jane Seymour), a psychic who specializes in Tarot cards and whose gift is often utilized by Kananga. The agent must elude henchmen with metal claws, voodoo rituals, snakes, crocodiles, and an exceptionally annoying Louisiana sheriff.

Live and Let Die was released during the run of blaxploitation films -- movies featuring a predominantly black cast aimed at black audiences. The majority of these films highlighted an urban setting, such as Shaft (1971) with Richard Roundtree, Black Caesar with Fred Williamson and Coffy with Pam Grier (both 1973). Julius Harris, who plays Tee Hee (the aforementioned clawed bad guy), starred in a number of movies of this genre, including Black Caesar, Hell Up in Harlem (1973), and Friday Foster (1975), with Grier and Harris' Live and Let Die co-star, Kotto. Live and Let Die is sometimes criticized for exploiting either the black actors or the genre itself. Such an argument, however, overlooks the strong showings from the supporting cast, particularly Kotto, Harris, and even Earl Jolly Brown as Whisper, who earns his nickname by only speaking in a whispering voice.

Jane Seymour is one of my favorite Bond girls. Solitaire is a dynamic, multi-dimensional character, able to play both sides and keep herself moderately safe. And since Kunanga fully believes in her psychic abilities and Bond needs her assistance in locating Kunanga, Solitaire is a woman on whom both the good guy and the bad guy must rely. Seymour is also incredibly beautiful, and Solitaire seems just a bit out of Bond's league, an idea which is strengthened by the fact that 007 has to employ Tarot-card trickery to get the lady to sleep with him.

In addition to Bond's deception of Solitaire, Live and Let Die does have its flaws. Clifton James stars as J.W. Pepper, the Louisiana sheriff who tries to stop 007 as the agent is chased by Kunanga's men. Pepper was possibly included to add comic relief, but the comedy falls flat, and the sheriff just proves superfluous to a chase sequence that is already overlong. Likewise, the manner in which Bond disposes of the villain is preposterous.
By Live and Let Die, the Bond formula had been solidified. A pre-credit sequence, followed by a title song performed by a popular artist, in this case Paul McCartney and Wings with a wonderfully memorable tune. A beautiful Bond girl, a wealthy, powerful Bond villain, and baddies with colorful names such as Mr. Big and Whisper. And, unlike Dr. No (last month's Bond Is Forever selection), Bond is equipped with gadgets (although Q (Desmond Llewelyn) does not appear in Live and Let Die, he is mentioned by name as M hands 007 a watch loaded with goodies).

There are many familiar faces in this Bond outing. In addition to others mentioned, some viewers may recognize Geoffrey Holder from the 1982 adaptation of Annie. Holder had also starred in commercials for the soft drink, 7-Up, in the 1970s, and was brought back in the '80s after the success of Annie. Fans of the British film studio, Hammer Film Productions, might notice Hammer regular Madeline Smith, who shares Bond's bed at the film's beginning. Smith had significant roles in Taste the Blood of Dracula, The Vampire Lovers (both 1970), and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974). And perhaps actor Roy Stewart is not well known to Bond fans, but, in Live and Let Die, he is playing Quarrel, Jr., the son of Bond's partner in Dr. No (1962).
George Martin, who produced nearly everything The Beatles recorded, also produced the title song and handled the film's score (which may explain why McCartney's song is incorporated throughout the film). This was the first Bond film not scored by John Barry, who would return the following year for The Man with the Golden Gun. The song, "Live and Let Die", was covered by rock band, Guns n' Roses, for Use Your Illusion I in 1991. The single was a hit, although not as much as the original.

By 1973, David Hedison was the fifth actor to portray CIA agent and Bond friend, Felix Leiter. However, Hedison reprised the role in Licence to Kill in 1989 and, aside from actor Jeffrey Wright (who has starred in 2006's Casino Royale and 2008's Quantum of Solace with Daniel Craig), is the only actor to play Felix more than once.

I would love to hear other people's thoughts on Live and Let Die. Any Solitaire fans? And how about Connery vs. Moore as 007?

Bond Is Forever will return next month with From Russia with Love (1963).

Name the Movie Game (23 February Edition)

Hi, everyone! As always, here's a quick recap of the rules:

1. You may ask up to five yes or no questions a day. Each guess does count as one question.

2. Please number each question or each guess to make it easier to respond to them.

3. The player who is the first to guess the movie correctly will be the one to make the selection for the following week’s Name the Movie Game.

4. The game will end on Saturday night if the movie is not guessed.

I will answer questions until 11 p.m. EST tonight.

I'm thinking of a movie made in the 1950s.

Love Stories: Romance, Music, Motion...It's a Clean Sweep for Dirty Dancing!

Dirty Dancing has to be one of the most romantic movies in movie history. It was made in 1987 and directed by Emile Ardolino, who has won several awards. Eleanor Bergstein, who wrote the screenplay, based the lead male and female characters on real people she knew. Those roles were played by the charismatic Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, the daughter of Joel Grey, the Oscar-winning actor from Cabaret. Both Swayze and Grey were relatively unknowns at the time. Most of the dance scenes in this movie were choreographed by Kenny Ortega, who is now probably most famous for the High School Musical films.

Jennifer Grey had already been trained as a dancer. She was only 27 years old when the movie was filmed. Patrick Swayze was 34 and an accomplished dancer himself. He and Grey had worked together three years earlier in Red Dawn. Grey didn’t really want to work with Swayze again, saying that they hadn’t gotten along well on their previous film. However, the two actors worked out their differences and made movie history with their electric chemistry on the screen.

The story takes place in 1963 in the Catskill Mountains where the Kellerman family is vacationing. Dr. Kellerman (Jerry Orbach) is a Jewish physician who is a friend of the resort’s owner. He and his wife have two daughters. One daughter’s name is Frances, but she is called “Baby” by her family. Baby is 17 years old and going to Mount Holyoke College in the fall. While at the resort, Baby is captivated by a dancing instructor named Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze). She is invited to one of the staff parties, where she sees Johnny and his friends dancing in a “dirty” way.

Later, Baby finds out that Johnny’s dance partner, Penny Johnson (Cynthia Rhodes), is pregnant and the father is another staff member. Penny gets an abortion and starts hemorrhaging afterwards. She refuses to go to a doctor because abortions are illegal. Baby feels sorry for Penny and convinces her physician father to help Penny. Dr. Kellerman saves Penny’s life. However, he falsely assumes that Johnny was the man who fathered Penny’s baby. He forbids Baby to associate with Johnny and his “lowly” friends again.

Of course, Baby does not listen to her father--because she is 17 years old and in love with Johnny. Johnny tries to resist her innocent charm, but he finally gives in and they have an affair. Baby is seen by another guest leaving Johnny’s cabin. The guest is jealous of Baby spending the night with Johnny, so she tells the resort’s owner that Johnny stole a guest’s wallet. The turning point in the movie is when the resort manager is going to fire Johnny. Baby does something for Johnny which changes his life. The dance scene in the end of the movie is stunning and so romantic that just thinking about it makes me shiver.

Dirty Dancing, which was made on a budget of only five million dollars, earned over two hundred million dollars worldwide. The movie made history when the video was the first one to sell over a million copies. Several songs from the movie became famous. “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” won a the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the Grammy Award for best duet, and a Golden Globe award. Another song, “She’s Like the Wind,” was written by Patrick Swayze and Stacy Widelitz. Swayze even sings it in the movie. The dance scenes in this movie, as well as the music, played a major part in the film’s popularity. Some women consider it the most romantic film in history. It certainly made Patrick Swayze famous.

The movie wasn’t filmed in the Catskill Mountains in New York. It was filmed at Lake Lure in North Carolina and the Mountain Lake Resort near Roanoke, Virginia. Lake Lure is a beautiful place and I have been there on a vacation. It is famous not only for being one of the settings in Dirty Dancing; a scene from the movie The Last of the Mohicans was filmed there as well. The lake scenes were supposed to be in the summer, however, it was October and the leaves were changing colors. The leaves had to be painted green. The last line of the movie is famous, but I cannot include it in my review because I would give away the ending.

If you have never seen Dirty Dancing, it is a must see movie. It is my favorite romantic movie. The songs are outstanding and on my iPod. I think it is Patrick Swayze’s best movie. I was so sad when Patrick died, but with Dirty Dancing and Ghost he leaves behind a great legacy in the movies.

This Week's Poll: Who is Your Favorite Movie Pirate?

Aargh, maties! This week’s poll focuses on those rascally rogues who were bold enough to fly the jolly roger aboard their plundering ships as they sailed across the silver screen. As always, it was tough to get the list of nominees down to a manageable size. As a result, privateers got the boot (sorry, fans of The Sea Hawk) and, of course, there’s no Johnny Depp because Pirates of the Caribbean isn’t a film classic (time will tell!). It was also with reluctance that I omitted such famous movie pirates as Long John Silver (Robert Newton in Treasure Island), Captain Kidd (Charles Laughton played him twice), and Blackbeard (Peter Ustinov played his ghost). With that said, here are your nominees:

Captain Vallo (Burt Lancaster, The Crimson Pirate) – Burt Lancaster and Nick Cravat (Burt’s former acrobat partner) play the world’s most athletic pirates in this lighthearted action flick from Robert Siodmak. It’s lively and fun and a little hectic at times. It’s amazing that Burt made this in 1952 and then From Here to Eternity the next year.

Captain Peter Blood (Errol Flynn, Captain Blood) – Flynn vaulted to stardom as a wrongly convicted physician who is sold into slavery and escapes to become a famous pirate. It was the first pairing of Flynn and Olivia de Havilland, who would become a classic screen couple. Based on the bestselling novel by Rafael Sabatini.

Jamie Waring (Tyrone Powers, The Black Swan) – Powers portrays a roguish pirate who reluctantly reforms…only to return to his swashbuckling ways as one of the good guys. Maureen O’Hara, who would later play a pirate herself, is Jamie’s eventual love interest. George Sanders co-stars a baddie called Redbeard. Also based on a Sabatini novel.

Serafin (Gene Kelly, The Pirate) – Okay, Kelly isn’t really a pirate in this movie…he plays a circus troupe performer who poses as the notorious “Mack the Black” to win the love of Judy Garland. But he still spends much of the film acting like a pirate…plus he sings and dances “Be a Clown”—so he’s get included in this poll!

Prudence “Spitfire” Stevens (Maureen O’Hara, Against All Flags) – Ms. O’Hara proves that female pirates can hold their own against the guys in this entertaining swashbuckler. She plays a Madagascar-based buccaneer whose suspects Errol Flynn of being a spy among her fellow mates (she’s right!).

Captain Hook (Hans Conried, Peter Pan) – Conreid provided the voice for the animated Captain Hook in Disney’s 1953 colorful Peter Pan. But for those of us who grew up watching the TV adaptation of the Peter Pan Broadway musical, the definitive Hook was Cyril Ritchard. For this poll, though we’ll stick with Disney’s Hook since more people may be familiar with him.

The Black Pirate (Douglas Fairbanks) –Fairbanks stars as a young nobleman who becomes a buccaneer to avenge his father whose untimely death was caused by…pirates! This classic silent adventures was originally shot in early two-strip Technicolor, though most prints today are black-and-white.

As always, any comments about omissions are welcomed. In the meantime, please cast your vote in the green sidebar on the right.