This started as a Q&A on Classic Hollywood Nerd, and I couldn't resist joining in with my answers.
Who was the actor/actress that you were first interested in?
When I was maybe ten, I remember my best friend and I were filling out lists of our favorites, and for actor I put Clark Gable. (She had no idea who he was.) I'm not sure why I picked him at the time, although I always liked Gone With the Wind and I vaguely remember that It Happened One Night was one of the first movies my family recorded off TV with our new VCR.
How old were you when you really began watching old movies?
I don't remember a time when I didn't watch old movies. My love of them began in childhood, thanks to my classics-loving father, and never really stopped.
What was the first old movie that caught your interest?
As a kid I had all the dialogue (though a few lines were off) to The Wizard of Oz memorized. My parents had to ask me not to say every line along with the movie.
Who is currently your favorite actor?
I always like Bogart and Spencer. I like to look at Paul Newman, Dana Andrews, William Holden and Brando. I am strangely fascinated by George C. Scott and George Sanders. I think Ray Milland and Fred MacMurray are underrated. The more I see of Kirk Douglas and James Mason, the more impressed I am with them. And most recently I've been enjoying Edward G. Robinson.
Who is currently your favorite actress?
For a while now I've been identifying with Ginger Rogers.
What is your favorite old movie and why?
Only one? I really enjoy The Maltese Falcon for the unfolding mystery and Humphrey Bogart's great reactions to the assorted crazy characters. The Third Man is also high on my list. While it's artistic and moody it also has some great little moments of humor.
How many old movies do you own? How many old movies do you have recorded/on the dvr?
How should I know? What am I, an accountant? ;-)
Not as many as I'd like to own. I haven't counted, probably around 50, but I have a lot more recorded from television. And maybe 10-15 taking up space on the dvr. Putting my collection at what I would guess to be more than 100, but less than 200.
If you could go back in time and visit any actor/actress, who would it be?
I imagine that conversations with Orson Welles and/or Katharine Hepburn (if I could keep up with them) would be interesting. I think visits with Jimmy Stewart and/or Jack Lemmon would be pleasant.
Who is one actor/actress that you want to know more about?
It seems the more I learn about actors, the less I like them. Since learning about the real lives of actors is often disappointing to me, I usually prefer to know and appreciate them on-screen only. However, I did just watch an American Masters about Gene Kelly that was pretty interesting and not entirely depressing.
What film could you watch over and over again?
Among my go-to favorites for re-watching are The Big Sleep, Laura, and The Philadelphia Story.
What is your favorite Hitchcock film?
Probably North by Northwest.
Who is your favorite director?
Billy Wilder is genius.
Share your answers here or on your own blog. :-)
Showing posts with label Gene Kelly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gene Kelly. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wrapping up my Month O' Musicals: poll results and final thoughts
The musical polls are closed and the results are in! (I didn't vote on these myself, but will share my picks below.)
What's your favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein musical?
The Sound of Music wins with 43% of the votes. South Pacific comes in second, with Oklahoma!, State Fair, and The King and I tied not far behind. No big surprises here about the winner; The Sound of Music came in 4th on AFI's 100 musicals list, the highest rated of any Rodgers and Hammerstein movie.
While this popular movie gets a lot of love, there also seems to be a small group of people that really hate it. While I don't know that I feel that strongly about it, I'm more on the disliking side of the argument. Confession: I've never even seen the whole thing. I've seen different parts of it when it's been on TV, but somehow have never been inspired to watch the movie from start to finish. (Sorry, Sound of Music lovers!)
My vote in this category: Oklahoma!
Favorite Astaire/Rogers film?
Swing Time comes out on top with 41% of the votes, followed by Top Hat, then Shall We Dance, then Roberta and Carefree (tied). While I haven't yet seen every one of the Astaire/Rogers pairings, (I know, for shame!) I happen to like Shall We Dance quite a bit. But since no one voted for The Barkleys of Broadway, I want to give that one a little love. It gets my uncounted vote.
Your favorite Gene Kelly musical?
The winner here is the movie that topped AFI's 100 musical list: Singin' in the Rain, with 53% of the votes. The distant second, with 15% picking it, is On the Town. Third place is crowded, with For Me and My Gal, Anchors Away, An American in Paris, and Brigadoon each getting the same amount of votes.
While I would agree that Singin' in the Rain is the best Gene Kelly musical, the vote for my favorite is An American in Paris. With 's wonderful Gershwin music, acerbic Oscar Levant, and captivating end ballet, it's not just my favorite Gene Kelly musical, but my favorite musical ever.
Favorite Disney animated musical?
This was the least agreed upon in the polls. The Little Mermaid just barely edged out the competition, followed by Aladdin, and then a three-way-tie with Mulan, Pocahontas, and Beauty and the Beast. There were also a couple votes for "other". What did I miss? Peter Pan? Lilo and Stitch?
I'm surprised that the older Disney films didn't get any votes. I really love the charm of the older style animation before everything was so slickly done with computers. Maybe I should have made an old-style animated Disney movie poll and a newer animated Disney movie poll. My older favorites include Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp, and 101 Dalmatians.
As for the newer choices, I was a bit surprised that no one picked The Lion King, even though I find it pretty mean and depressing. (I did enjoy the Broadway version of the story better, mostly due to the cool costumes.) My personal pick for newer favorite would have to be Aladdin.
Final Thoughts:
When I first had the idea to focus on musicals for a month, I wondered if I could come up with enough to talk about. Then I began to make a list and realized there were more movie musicals I'd already seen and enjoyed than I could ever post about in one month, let alone the musicals I had yet to see. As it was, I highlighted 17 different musicals this month. I definitely leaned more toward my favorites, probably because those were the ones I have the strongest opinions about and that I most wanted to revisit. Not as well represented: newer musicals, Disney musicals, and new-to-me musicals. I could very easily do another whole Month O' Musicals, or perhaps I'll just continue to feature one musical each month.
Before the month ends, there is one more movie I'd like to put in a plug for: That's Entertainment! With various musical stars introducing some outstanding musical moments, it's much more enjoyable than any movie of clip after clip has any right to be. While it only looks at MGM musicals, true to the title it is very entertaining and might give you ideas for more musicals to check out.
Farewell, Month O' Musicals. It's been fun. Thanks for helping me get through a cold January. Now I'm ready to move on to something without any song and dance numbers. Like documentaries.
I'll be back soon with some big changes coming in February!
What's your favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein musical?
The Sound of Music wins with 43% of the votes. South Pacific comes in second, with Oklahoma!, State Fair, and The King and I tied not far behind. No big surprises here about the winner; The Sound of Music came in 4th on AFI's 100 musicals list, the highest rated of any Rodgers and Hammerstein movie.
While this popular movie gets a lot of love, there also seems to be a small group of people that really hate it. While I don't know that I feel that strongly about it, I'm more on the disliking side of the argument. Confession: I've never even seen the whole thing. I've seen different parts of it when it's been on TV, but somehow have never been inspired to watch the movie from start to finish. (Sorry, Sound of Music lovers!)
My vote in this category: Oklahoma!
Favorite Astaire/Rogers film?
Swing Time comes out on top with 41% of the votes, followed by Top Hat, then Shall We Dance, then Roberta and Carefree (tied). While I haven't yet seen every one of the Astaire/Rogers pairings, (I know, for shame!) I happen to like Shall We Dance quite a bit. But since no one voted for The Barkleys of Broadway, I want to give that one a little love. It gets my uncounted vote.
Your favorite Gene Kelly musical?
The winner here is the movie that topped AFI's 100 musical list: Singin' in the Rain, with 53% of the votes. The distant second, with 15% picking it, is On the Town. Third place is crowded, with For Me and My Gal, Anchors Away, An American in Paris, and Brigadoon each getting the same amount of votes.
While I would agree that Singin' in the Rain is the best Gene Kelly musical, the vote for my favorite is An American in Paris. With 's wonderful Gershwin music, acerbic Oscar Levant, and captivating end ballet, it's not just my favorite Gene Kelly musical, but my favorite musical ever.
Favorite Disney animated musical?
This was the least agreed upon in the polls. The Little Mermaid just barely edged out the competition, followed by Aladdin, and then a three-way-tie with Mulan, Pocahontas, and Beauty and the Beast. There were also a couple votes for "other". What did I miss? Peter Pan? Lilo and Stitch?
I'm surprised that the older Disney films didn't get any votes. I really love the charm of the older style animation before everything was so slickly done with computers. Maybe I should have made an old-style animated Disney movie poll and a newer animated Disney movie poll. My older favorites include Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp, and 101 Dalmatians.
As for the newer choices, I was a bit surprised that no one picked The Lion King, even though I find it pretty mean and depressing. (I did enjoy the Broadway version of the story better, mostly due to the cool costumes.) My personal pick for newer favorite would have to be Aladdin.
Final Thoughts:
When I first had the idea to focus on musicals for a month, I wondered if I could come up with enough to talk about. Then I began to make a list and realized there were more movie musicals I'd already seen and enjoyed than I could ever post about in one month, let alone the musicals I had yet to see. As it was, I highlighted 17 different musicals this month. I definitely leaned more toward my favorites, probably because those were the ones I have the strongest opinions about and that I most wanted to revisit. Not as well represented: newer musicals, Disney musicals, and new-to-me musicals. I could very easily do another whole Month O' Musicals, or perhaps I'll just continue to feature one musical each month.
Before the month ends, there is one more movie I'd like to put in a plug for: That's Entertainment! With various musical stars introducing some outstanding musical moments, it's much more enjoyable than any movie of clip after clip has any right to be. While it only looks at MGM musicals, true to the title it is very entertaining and might give you ideas for more musicals to check out.
Farewell, Month O' Musicals. It's been fun. Thanks for helping me get through a cold January. Now I'm ready to move on to something without any song and dance numbers. Like documentaries.
I'll be back soon with some big changes coming in February!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Overlooked Musical: It's Always Fair Weather
Did you ever watch On the Town and find yourself wondering what might have happened to those three guys when the war was over? In a way, It's Always Fair Weather is the answer.
Originally conceived as sequel to On the Town, the sailors have morphed into soldiers with only Gene Kelly returning as a main character. He's joined by Dan Dailey and Michael Kidd to make up a trio of army buddies whose war experiences have made them the closest of friends. When the war is over and the three prepare to go their separate ways, they make a pact to meet again in ten years.
While you might think that three such very good friends would try to keep in touch during the intervening years, the story is about them coming back together and realizing they now have nothing in common, except for perhaps their disillusionment with life. Cyd Charisse enters the picture as a TV producer ready to use the reunion as fodder for a sappy reality show which ends up bringing the guys together in an unexpected way.
The cynical perspective that pervades makes for a darker movie than most MGM musicals. Television is satirized in the movie's Midnight With Madeline program, with Delores Gray playing the show's star as an over-the-top, insincere diva. The corporate world is also a target, with ad-man Dailey's character song "Saturation-Wise" making fun of business jargon (five years before The Apartment did it).
But there's also moments of sheer fun and joy, like the three friends dancing with garbage can lids on their feet and Gene Kelly's "I Like Myself" solo on roller skates. The film is also interesting to look at as it makes full use of CinemaScope, filling up the widescreen format and using split screens and montages to tell the story.
A major theme of the movie is how people change over time and what happens to friendships. One of my favorite scenes is when the reunited pals go to lunch. The same trio that once sang about being friends until death now sing about their disappointment at being back together. To the tune of the Strauss waltz "The Blue Danube", each friend in turn asks "why am I here?" and labels the other two with names like hick, square, snob and punk. This funny bit gets right to the heart of the matter: each friend, in recognizing how the other two are not what he expected, also realizes he is not the person he once wanted to be, either. While it's a less-than-rosy look at life and friendship, there is an underlying truth here about how dreams and relationships shift over time. And there's a hopeful undercurrent of finding a way to change or accept the person you've become.
While it's no Singin' in the Rain, if you're looking to expand your range of musicals and you like Gene Kelly, add It's Always Fair Weather to your list.
Originally conceived as sequel to On the Town, the sailors have morphed into soldiers with only Gene Kelly returning as a main character. He's joined by Dan Dailey and Michael Kidd to make up a trio of army buddies whose war experiences have made them the closest of friends. When the war is over and the three prepare to go their separate ways, they make a pact to meet again in ten years.
While you might think that three such very good friends would try to keep in touch during the intervening years, the story is about them coming back together and realizing they now have nothing in common, except for perhaps their disillusionment with life. Cyd Charisse enters the picture as a TV producer ready to use the reunion as fodder for a sappy reality show which ends up bringing the guys together in an unexpected way.
The cynical perspective that pervades makes for a darker movie than most MGM musicals. Television is satirized in the movie's Midnight With Madeline program, with Delores Gray playing the show's star as an over-the-top, insincere diva. The corporate world is also a target, with ad-man Dailey's character song "Saturation-Wise" making fun of business jargon (five years before The Apartment did it).
But there's also moments of sheer fun and joy, like the three friends dancing with garbage can lids on their feet and Gene Kelly's "I Like Myself" solo on roller skates. The film is also interesting to look at as it makes full use of CinemaScope, filling up the widescreen format and using split screens and montages to tell the story.
A major theme of the movie is how people change over time and what happens to friendships. One of my favorite scenes is when the reunited pals go to lunch. The same trio that once sang about being friends until death now sing about their disappointment at being back together. To the tune of the Strauss waltz "The Blue Danube", each friend in turn asks "why am I here?" and labels the other two with names like hick, square, snob and punk. This funny bit gets right to the heart of the matter: each friend, in recognizing how the other two are not what he expected, also realizes he is not the person he once wanted to be, either. While it's a less-than-rosy look at life and friendship, there is an underlying truth here about how dreams and relationships shift over time. And there's a hopeful undercurrent of finding a way to change or accept the person you've become.
While it's no Singin' in the Rain, if you're looking to expand your range of musicals and you like Gene Kelly, add It's Always Fair Weather to your list.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Month O' Musicals: Anchors Aweigh
Vital Stats:
Year: 1945
Director: George Sidney
Stars: Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Gene Kelly, Jose Iturbi and a very young Dean Stockwell as the runaway child
Summary:
Two sailors on leave ("when they give you leave, you gotta leave") try to help an aspiring singer get an audition at MGM.
Memorable Moments:
Frank Sinatra crooning "I Fall in Love Too Easily" and Gene Kelly dancing with the animated Jerry Mouse. ("Look at me, I'm dancing!")
What I love about it:
The above scenes are great, but I really love the bit where the boys try to scare off a would-be suitor of the girl they're both falling for by singing a funny version of "If You Knew Susie" (with altered lyrics like: "S is for sincerity, which she's got none of...")
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
