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Post by I Love Melvin on May 20, 2023 13:09:36 GMT
A couple I forgot to mention are Suddenly, Last Summer and especially Anatomy of a Murder, which has become one of my favorite movies over the years. I probably couldn't have gotten into the theater to see either one at the time; even a couple of years later some older friends of mine needed fake ID's to get into Lolita. A very different time. I know Katharine Hepburn herself tended to talk down Suddenly, Last Summer but I think she was terrific in it, as was the whole cast, and it's one of the best of the Williams adaptations. Even Anatomy of a Murder was too "juicy" for kids and teens because of the language and subject matter. (I remember my mother and my older cousin Janet debating whether or not to take me along to see Operation Petticoat because they'd heard it was "risque".) I got to Anatomy of a Murder as an adult, which is fine because I was probably better able to appreciate it then. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (James Stewart) and Best Supporting Actor (both Arthur O'Connell and George C. Scott) and, in my opinion, there should have been at least a nomination for Eve Arden, who fit right into that quirky milieu and became one of its most valuable players. Lee Remick got a Golden Globe nomination, but no win. The plot concerns a murder trial in which Stewart is counsel for the defense of a guy he's not entirely sure is innocent, but the subplot of his nudging his older mentor (Arthur O'Connell) back to sobriety to help him in the case is equally compelling. The atmospheric location (Upper Michigan), the black and white cinematography, the Duke Ellington score and some arguably career best performances make this movie a true classic, at least for me. And an honorable mention should go to Fox's The Best of Everything, one of the best iterations of the "three career girls" genre. It's fun as a melodrama, in addition to being absolutely essential as a time-capsule look at "mid-century" style. It's the exact look and feel later co-opted for the Mad Men TV series. The decor, the costuming, the cars, the white gloves....it's all there.  |
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Post by Fading Fast on May 20, 2023 13:55:37 GMT
A couple I forgot to mention are Suddenly, Last Summer and especially Anatomy of a Murder, which has become one of my favorite movies over the years. I probably couldn't have gotten into the theater to see either one at the time; even a couple of years later some older friends of mine needed fake ID's to get into Lolita. A very different time. I know Katharine Hepburn herself tended to talk down Suddenly, Last Summer but I think she was terrific in it, as was the whole cast, and it's one of the best of the Williams adaptations. Even Anatomy of a Murder was too "juicy" for kids and teens because of the language and subject matter. (I remember my mother and my older cousin Janet debating whether or not to take me along to see Operation Petticoat because they'd heard it was "risque".) I got to Anatomy of a Murder as an adult, which is fine because I was probably better able to appreciate it then. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (James Stewart) and Best Supporting Actor (both Arthur O'Connell and George C. Scott) and, in my opinion, there should have been at least a nomination for Eve Arden, who fit right into that quirky milieu and became one of its most valuable players. Lee Remick got a Golden Globe nomination, but no win. The plot concerns a murder trial in which Stewart is counsel for the defense of a guy he's not entirely sure is innocent, but the subplot of his nudging his older mentor (Arthur O'Connell) back to sobriety to help him in the case is equally compelling. The atmospheric location (Upper Michigan), the black and white cinematography, the Duke Ellington score and some arguably career best performances make this movie a true classic, at least for me. And an honorable mention should go to Fox's The Best of Everything, one of the best iterations of the "three career girls" genre. It's fun as a melodrama, in addition to being absolutely essential as a time-capsule look at "mid-century" style. It's the exact look and feel later co-opted for the Mad Men TV series. The decor, the costuming, the cars, the white gloves....it's all there.
Also, since we've been talking about her recently in other threads, it's worth noting that Joan Crawford gives an outstanding performance in a supporting role in this one. |
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Post by sepiatone on May 20, 2023 15:26:40 GMT
Since this series started I'm constantly amazed that as many hours over the years I've sat up watching old movies on late shows at how many movies from each year I've never seen. Of course through the earlier '50's I of course, was too young to go to the theater by myself. And 1959 was probably a year I went more often. But still. There are WAY more movies made that year that I haven't yet seen. I suppose the upside of that is I have plenty to look forward to.  Sepiatone |
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