And the best Black and White movie ever is:

[Hal...]

BTW, those exchanges in the old phone numbers did often (maybe always?) correspond to locations!

I was looking over a page from an old NYC directory and they used a three letter prefix that did correspond to the neighborhood. For instance, phone numbers around Bryant Park began with 279. And numbers in Harlem began with 427.

But that may have been unique for NYC with exchange names that corresponded to neighborhoods. From what I read, the exchange names were simply a mnemonic that enabled people to remember the first two or three letters of their phone number. Maybe most cities chose names that corresponded to neighborhoods or parks or streets or whatever, but I don't really know.

BTW, I tried looking up old phone numbers from my city but found nothing. They were still using 4-digit numbers back then.

But that gave me an idea and I found something interesting in the Manhattan phone book in 1959 and 1960: an "Ira Levin" was living at 15 W 81st. Don't know if it's your dad or not. Do you?

I also found the address for Giuseppe Bonanno, aka "Joe Bananas", boss of the Bonanno Mafia family. If it's the same guy, he was living at 168 E 108th in 1959.

Couldn't find any of the other mobsters, other than Lucchese Bros fruit vendors and a Frank Costello. Not sure if it's the same one. But there sure are a lot of Gambinos, Castellanos, and Castiglias (Costello's real name).

Most REAL New Yorkers (like me) still use them too. Of course, sometimes the unofficial neighborhood names are better than the official ones, like Hell's Kitchen instead of Clinton.

Hell's Kitchen wasn't originally a neighborhood name???

You know the Westies are from Hell's Kitchen.



BTW, Jed, I'll give you one guess what the name of my elementary school was.

One of the classic newspapers in a movie (and I'm surprised you didn't mention it) was Hitchcock's appearance in "Lifeboat."

Didn't even think of it. Don't know why.

What's really funny about that picture is I didn't recognize it as a still from the movie until I looked a little closer and recognized William Bendix as the guy holding the paper.

[ronmac]

^ I believe Hitchcock really was on a diet, too.

[JKL2000]

I was looking over a page from an old NYC directory and they used a three letter prefix that did correspond to the neighborhood. For instance, phone numbers around Bryant Park began with 279. And numbers in Harlem began with 427.

But that may have been unique for NYC with exchange names that corresponded to neighborhoods. From what I read, the exchange names were simply a mnemonic that enabled people to remember the first two or three letters of their phone number. Maybe most cities chose names that corresponded to neighborhoods or parks or streets or whatever, but I don't really know.

BTW, I tried looking up old phone numbers from my city but found nothing. They were still using 4-digit numbers back then.

But that gave me an idea and I found something interesting in the Manhattan phone book in 1959 and 1960: an "Ira Levin" was living at 15 W 81st. Don't know if it's your dad or not. Do you?

I also found the address for Giuseppe Bonanno, aka "Joe Bananas", boss of the Bonanno Mafia family. If it's the same guy, he was living at 168 E 108th in 1959.

Couldn't find any of the other mobsters, other than Lucchese Bros fruit vendors and a Frank Costello. Not sure if it's the same one. But there sure are a lot of Gambinos, Castellanos, and Castiglias (Costello's real name).



Hell's Kitchen wasn't originally a neighborhood name???

You know the Westies are from Hell's Kitchen.



BTW, Jed, I'll give you one guess what the name of my elementary school was.



Didn't even think of it. Don't know why.


What's really funny about that picture is I didn't recognize it as a still from the movie until I looked a little closer and recognized William Bendix as the guy holding the paper.

Yes, that was where my father lived before he and my mother married. You know who else lived in the same townhouse? Eleanor Roosevelt!

[Hal...]

Yes, that was where my father lived before he and my mother married. You know who else lived in the same townhouse? Eleanor Roosevelt!

Yeah, I read that on the website.

BTW, you didn't guess the name of my elementary school. (if you think about it, it should be a really easy guess for you)

[Staun]

TCM the Falcon, Casablanca and Citizen Kane tonight. Never warmed to Casablanca and Kane has sort of lost it’s magic for me. Bogey, Sidney, Peter and Mary never gets old.

[Staun]

^ I believe Hitchcock really was on a diet, too.

Ron, I still can’t believe his obsession with Tippi. Wonder if that effected her career in any way.

[headcrash]

Ron, I still can’t believe his obsession with Tippi. Wonder if that effected her career in any way.

There's a good interview with her on Gilbert Gottfried's podcast and she touches on the subject. Worth a listen for those interested in Hitchcock.

[ronmac]

"Inherit the Wind" is on TCM tomorrow at 4:00

[Hal...]

I understand where that title comes from but I never remember it in relation to the play/movie and immediately picture in my mind one of the following images from movie posters:




(The Lion in Winter)




(The Wind and the Lion)


What's funny is I've never seen either movie.


What's really funny about those two is if you mention one title I'll think of the movie poster for the other.

[Staun]

"Inherit the Wind" is on TCM tomorrow at 4:00

Watching, Run Silent, Run Deep as a warmup.

[Staun]

I understand where that title comes from but I never remember it in relation to the play/movie and immediately picture in my mind one of the following images from movie posters:




(The Lion in Winter)




(The Wind and the Lion)


What's funny is I've never seen either movie.


What's really funny about those two is if you mention one title I'll think of the movie poster for the other.

I like, The Lion in Winter. Peter O’Toole seems so different here than he does in Lawrence. Amazing.

[Staun]

I do like those period films though, Beckett, A Man for all Seasons.

[JKL2000]

Yeah, I read that on the website.

BTW, you didn't guess the name of my elementary school. (if you think about it, it should be a really easy guess for you)

But did you know that he and Eleanor Roosevelt lived there at the same time? She asked him if he'd move out so she could have the whole building to herself, but he didn't want to. He was there first.

Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary School?

[Hal...]

Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary School?

No. Horace Mann.

[Jerjo]

The late Yaphet Kotto wrote this epic tale about his friend Robert Mitchum.

https://www.facebook.com/25437791549...0180043620495/

[Hal...]

Beginning Wednesday night, TCM is having a marathon of movies that stars or co-stars Sidney Greenstreet & Peter Lorre:

8:00 pm: The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
9:45 pm: The Verdict (1946)
11:30 pm: Three Strangers (1946)
1:15 am: Passage to Marseille (1944)
3:15 am: The Conspirators (1944)
5:00 am: Background to Danger (1943)
6:30 am: The Maltese Falcon (1941)
8:30 am: Casablanca (1942)

[ronmac]

Sidney Greenstreet had one of those voices that he could recite Steve Miller lyrics and make them sound high class and profound.

[nycsteve]

Sidney Greenstreet had one of those voices that he could recite Steve Miller lyrics and make them sound high class and profound.

"I like talking to a man who likes to talk "

[ronmac]

"King Kong" is on TCM at 6:30 this evening. That's one of those movies I always watch.

[headcrash]

I caught "The Fortune Cookie" the other night, first team-up of Lemmon and Matthau. Man, what a great picture, written and directed by Billy Wilder. Walter Matthau is probably one of the most underrated actors ever.

"I don't want to find you here when I get back. And take your damn meatloaf with you."

[nycsteve]

I DVRed 1946's Three Strangers starring Peter Lorre and Sidney Greenstreet. This is one I don't ever remember seeing. Lorre's charactor is the most likeable reminisent of his Casablanca turn. Plot involves 3 strangers making a wish to a chineese godess . The 3 are undone by their own flaws as their wishes turn against them. According to the TCM comments , this was written by John Houstan prior to the release of THe Maltese Falcon and he would have directed had he not been on active military duty. It shares many people involved in or almost involved in the Maltese Falcon. This was a winner in my eyes. Catch it if able.

[Staun]

HUD, with Paul Newman is on TCM tonight. I’ve always looked at this film as one where the bad guy gets what he wants in the end. Now maybe we don’t like his personality much and some of the things he does, but is he really the villain? Not much action but still interesting.

[ronmac]

"The Incredible Shrinking Man" is on Me-TV tonight.

[jkelman]

Wow, that's tough. Amongst my faves
Incredible Shrinking Man
Frankenstein & Bride of Frankenstein
The Werewolf of London
The Great Dictator
Modern Times
Naked City
12 Angry Men
Nosferatu
Freaks
Psycho
The Elephant Man
Brute Force
The Fly
Dr Strangelove
Fail Safe
The Man Who Wasn't There
The Night of the Hunter
To Kill a Mockingbird
Scarface (original)
Touch of Evil
Twilight Zone (original series...yeah, I know, tv, but still)

[ronmac]

^^ Great list.