I believe I still have this box set. I really enjoy SEA WIFE (1957), co-starring Richard Burton, but THE GIRL IN THE RED VELVET SWING and RALLY, 'ROUND THE FLAG, BOYS! are also quite good. To be fair, though, all the movies in the set are beautifully restored. SEVEN THIEVES is also quite crisp in glorious B&W.
THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO. What I hadn't realised when I bought the cheap DVD was that it wasn't a studio release. I guess this film had fallen into the public domain at some point
Yeah, it fell into the public domain many years back. You can find this movie on all sorts of budget DVD releases. I've never seen it, but probably have two copies of it in different budget box sets cluttered with other public domain movies.
Rock Hudson, Doris Day, and Tony Randall make a good on-screen partnership. I really enjoy all three of their films, and it's a toss-up on whether I like PILLOW TALK or SEND ME NO FLOWERS the best. You can't go wrong with any of them, though, and all three of them were major box office hits. Day was #1 at the box office in the early 1960s and stayed in the Top 10 until 1966 when the quality of her films took a drastic nosedive, primarily due to the bad career choices her husband, Martin Melcher, made for her.
It's been years since I've watched GIANT, but you're right -- it's an epic. I'm do on a re-watch of it one of these days. It pulls strong performances out of Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and of course, James Dean. It's full of talented people in its supporting cast, too, like Carroll Baker, Mercedes McCambridge, Jane Withers, Dennis Hopper, and Sal Mineo. And, to top it off, it's got some gorgeous scenery and cinematography.
I actually really enjoyed DECEPTION (1946) when I watched it a few years back. Bette Davis and Claude Rains are two of my favorite old-school actors. Theatrical, sure, but I always enjoy them in movies.
It is, as they say, a "women's picture", but I enjoyed watching sometime ago. When you dive into the "feud" Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins had, it's even better. They did not get along at all, and their animosity for one another showed it's head quite often... or so I've read.
View attachment 20458 Watched “East of Eden”
Article :
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_of_Eden_(film)
The film stars Julie Harris, James Dean (in his first major screen role), and Raymond Massey . It also features Burl Ives , Richard Davalos
, and Jo Van Fleet , and was adapted by paul Osborn.
Although set in early 20th century
Monterey, California, much of the film was actually shot on location in
Mendocino, California. Some scenes were filmed in the
Salinas Valley.
Of the three films in which James Dean played the male lead, this is the only one to have been released during his lifetime and the only one Dean personally viewed in its entirety.
The film, along with Dean's other films
Rebel Without a Cause and Giant , has been named by the American Film Institute as one of the best 400 American films of all time. In 2016, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the
Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The Trask family have a farm. There are two sons Cal and Aron. They live with their Father the Sons think their Mother is Dead. Cal finds out she is actually alive.
Aron has a girlfriend named Abra who is also attracted to Cal.
Cal is bitter he feels his Father only loves Aron.
I really enjoyed the film, wonderful cast.
I would like to read the books by John Steinbeck.
View attachment 20457
I know I've seen EAST OF EDEN at least once, and I remember liking it. James Dean was a very good actor. A little actory in that method actor kind-of-way, but the movie is good and he is good in it. This is another one I need to revisit.
DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (1939) and MY LITTLE CHICKADEE (1940)
MY LITTLE CHICKADEE was quite good, but that's based on an opinion from many moons ago. I always enjoy Mae West, and I find W.C. Fields at least somewhat funny. As for DESTRY RIDES AGAIN, I've never actually seen it, but I'm eyeing the Criterion Collection release to add it to my collection one day soon. I agree with you, too. Marlene Dietrich could've been a very good actress, but she seems quite lazy in her execution.
Not a fan of THE APARTMENT or, more specifically, of Shirley MacLaine. As for Jack Lemmon, he's one of my favorites, and Billy Wilder movies are usually good.
Fontaine ranks high among my least favorite classic film actors, possibly right behind Deborah Kerr. Unlike Kerr -- who always seemed to be the same -- I have a harder time explaining why I dislike Fontaine. Her technique as an actress was solid; she may have been even more varied than Olivia. Fontaine could be fey, fluttery, skittish, uptight or bold, as the role required; but no matter her approach, I find her work un-enjoyable. That she (rarely) seemed to relax on screen may be the explanation.
You have put into words what I've always thought about Joan Fontaine. I can objectively acknowledge her as a good actress, she just isn't one I enjoy.
