Favorite Hitchcock quote:Originally Posted by ronmac
During filming of "Lifeboat", several crew members noted that Tallulah Bankhead was not wearing underwear. When advised of this situation, Sir Alfred Hitchcock observed, "I don't know if this is a matter for the costume department, make-up, or hairdressing."
Fantastic!
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
I thought Hitch was pretty clever with his cameo in "Lifeboat."
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
Kate is a very good actress but someone once pointed out she plays a type: a privileged woman. Once I heard that, I noticed that she does. And what makes her suspect is that that's how Kate was, too. She came from an old money, East Coast family and went to one of the Seven Sisters schools; Bryn Mawr, I think. So I guess some people think she was only ever playing herself, or a variation. And maybe she kinda was, but if you go deeper you can see how good she was. My favorite role of hers is as Ethel Thayer in On Golden Pond, with her prissy Rose in The African Queen a close second.
I was never a fan of the Tracy/Hepburn movies, either, altho The Desk Set is enjoyable.
As for Grant, he's one of those Golden Age stars who's easy to dismiss. But he was excellent in The Philadelphia Story (as were Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart) as well the Hitch movies he was in. I think his best role was in Suspicion. And he sorta played against type in Notorious, a movie I should like but for some reason, don't.
As for Bringing Up Baby, yeah, he's a little over the top but that was also the style for screwball comedies at that time. He was much better in Arsenic and Old Lace.
A movie I really never had a desire to see but ended up watching on TCM years ago, for lack of anything better to do, was The Bishop's Wife. I was surprised at how good it was; I even bought it for my parents. Part of the reason was he was excellent in it; one of his best roles. Another one of his great roles was as the Capt. in Operation Petticoat.
Over all, I think he was best in romantic comedies. But I also think he made those roles look easy, which is a testament to how good he was.
That is a great one. He could be very witty.
“From thirty feet away she looked like a lot of class. From ten feet away she looked like something made up to be seen from thirty feet away.” – Philip Marlowe
Kristen Wiig used to do a great over-the-top impersonation of Hepburn. Kate could bring it, but yes, always as the upper class. I recently watched Lion in the Winter and she's magnificent.
When the film The Aviator came out (best plane crash scene ever!) some magazine got Lauren Bacall to review it, because she knew all the principle characters. She thought Leo was decent as Howard Hughes and pretty much shredded Kate Beckinsale who played Ava Gardner and Gwen Stafani who played Jean Harlow. So the interviewer said, "Well what about Cate Blanchett as Hepburn?" Bacall said, "Oh, well I'm sorry. Cate Blanchett wasn't even in that movie. I looked up at the screen and all I saw was my friend Kate." And the thing is, Blanchett doesn't look like Hepburn at all, but she was all but channeling her.
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
So did Martin Short.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
Another great post from Hal pertaining to Ms. Hepburn and Mr. Grant. I certainly understand that they would still have a great following and rightfully so. But again, respectfully, I find neither compelling enough. If I watch Lion In Winter, it's because of Peter O'Toole. If I watch African Queen, of course it's Bogey. North by Northwest is a great work from Hitch but I think the Grant character could have been upgraded with other actors. Jimmy Stewart or Paul Newman would, for me, have been a good fit. I know we could go on forever talking about replacing one actor with another but his persona calls for other things. The Doris Day films I think were better for him with his bow ties and tuxedos. Those films lean more towards the feminine. I have much admiration here but just not my cup. But with out a doubt, I do recognize and acknowledge the pure talent of both actors.
The older I get, the better I was.
Rock Hudson had those locked up. Grant was a much more dimensional actor, although he did do his share of romantic romps.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
How about To Catch a Thief?
Agreed.
The older I get, the better I was.
To be honest, I can sit through this one. He also did a submarine picture, I can't recall off the top, that wasn't so bad.
The older I get, the better I was.
That's not my fave Grant movie, by a mile, but that may be his quintessential role.
Operation Petticoat.
“From thirty feet away she looked like a lot of class. From ten feet away she looked like something made up to be seen from thirty feet away.” – Philip Marlowe
That's it. Lots of sub films from that time.
The older I get, the better I was.
Neither Newman or Stewart would have been a better fit in North By Northwest. Grant did many films that were what they were due to his presense.
Charades is another example.
Raging Bull - because it was black-n-white on purpose
Totally agree.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
I appreciate that Nycsteve but to you and Ronmac, I still say Stewart would have been good. Grant is just so plain, run of the mill. Nothing to get me excited about
The older I get, the better I was.
Yep, I would also add, Requiem for a Heavyweight. However, RFAH was more about the relationship between Tony Quinn and his social worker. Jackie Gleason is the perfect manager. One boxing film I really liked, being in color not withstanding, was Cinderella Man with Russell Crowe.
The older I get, the better I was.
I always assumed Cinderella Man was a remake of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. Is it?
CM was a boxing film. MDGTT, iirc, was about a man who inherited a large sum of money. Been a while since I've seen it.
The older I get, the better I was.
+2Totally agree.
This:I appreciate that Nycsteve but to you and Ronmac, I still say Stewart would have been good
Something you may be forgetting, Staun, is the role Eva Marie Saint plays. She's the spy who lets Grant seduce her. Remember the scenes on the train early in the movie? So for the leading man you need a lady's man, not a man's man or, in Stewart's case, an everyman. Stewart was, maybe, the perfect everyman. Think Mr Smith Goes to Washington or It's a Wonderful Life; roles written for an everyman. But in North by Northwest, the story revolves around a committed bachelor, playboy type and so you need a lady's man in that role. And who better than Cary Grant? He was the quintessential lady's man. The only other actor I can think of off the top of my head who may have been as good and who was known at the time is David Niven. A remake in the '70s would have been a perfect vehicle for Robert Redford.
If you need further convincing, think of the love scenes with Stewart & Grace Kelly in Rear Window and then compare to Grant & Kelly in To Catch a Thief or Grant & Saint in NbNW. Grant wins hands down, imo.
Or, look at it this way: in chronological order, these are the Hitch movies Grant & Stewart starred in:Suspicion ('41) - Grant
Notorious ('46) - Grant
Rope ('48) - Stewart
Rear Window ('54) - Stewart
To Catch a Thief ('55) - Grant
The Man Who Knew Too much ('56) - Stewart
Vertigo ('58) - Stewart
Hitch thought Grant best for the role. I do, too.
Incidentally, fwiw, the top 3 men on AFI's list of 50 Greatest American Screen Legends are:1. Humphrey Bogart
2. Cary Grant
3. Jimmy Stewart
What's interesting to me is that Bogey & Grant are my two favorite "screen legends" and from that list, I'd put Henry Fonda at #3 and Edward G. Robinson at #4.
Obviously, YMMV.
“From thirty feet away she looked like a lot of class. From ten feet away she looked like something made up to be seen from thirty feet away.” – Philip Marlowe
I think I was somehow combining the subject matter of the Rush song "Cinderella Man" with "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" (which the Rush song is about), and assumed when there was a movie with the title "Cinderella Man" it was about the same story. Oops!
He did more than one .
Gentleman Gentleman, I totally understand what your saying and you won't let me leave the table until I eat my vegatables. I just don't like vegetables
The older I get, the better I was.
I think I was somehow combining the subject matter of the Rush song "Cinderella Man" with "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" (which the Rush song is about), and assumed when there was a movie with the title "Cinderella Man" it was about the same story. Oops!
The older I get, the better I was.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks