Doctor, there's something about that scene in which Cohan goes dancing down the staircase at the White House which brings a lump to my throat. I've never been able to find out whether Cohan actually closed shows with the flourish, "My father thanks you, my mother thanks you, my sister thanks you, and I thank you," but I hope he did. It's total kitsch, but it would have gone over beautifully with the audiences of that period. Joseph Mitchell's portrait of essentially a washed up Cohan circa 1930 is well worth the reading.
I've also never been able to find out much about the show, I'd Rather Be Right. I hope the scenarist did include the scene of a dancing Roosevelt, but obviously, someone came up with the idea. To me, that set piece within the movie is the best thing about it.
Cagney won Best Actor and how could he not have? It's not really an acting performance, and who cares?
For my money, Stephen Foster was the first great American songwriter. It would be hard for someone to ever have made a movie about him, though. He seems to have been so remote in life as to be ghostlike.
Another Cagney movie which I love and which you've probably seen is The Strawberry Blonde. There is nothing about that movie which isn't great. Even the name of Rita Hayworth's character, Virginia Brush, is perfect for a young woman in late Victorian era Brooklyn.
Have you seen her in Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte? That woman was a great actress. And what a cast, her, Bette Davis, Agnes Moorhead, Joseph Cotten, and a heavily shadowed Victor Buono! That movie is one of the prime examples of the odd genre referred to as "hagsploitation," also known as "psychobiddy," which began with the immortal Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, lasted about ten years, and then just stopped.
Another movie of that genre which doesn't get enough attention also starred Olivia de Havilland, Lady in a Cage. It was James Caan's first movie. He doesn't play a good guy, and the way Miss de Haviland's character deals with him shows why it's incautious for young thugs to annoy disabled middle aged women. Jeff Corey's performance is flawless, and his last scene is one of the most poignant things in the history of movies. It's also amazing to me that in early 60s Hollywood, his character would have been given those last lines, which are Christian witness if anything is.
For years, I wondered if the last scene in the movie itself was inspired by the murder of Kitty Genovese, but it wasn't. The movie was made in 1963, before her murder. But it's intriguing to me that the same year in which Roll Out Those Hazy, Crazy, Lazy Days of Summer became a big hit would have been the year in which a movie would be made which caught the underside of America with such acuity.
Needless to say, no hagsploitation movie is suitable for your patients.
Let me amend my previous statement : ) I love De H in everything pre-hagsploitation, ha! As someone who cherishes both the young Bette (speaking of Cagney, The Bride Came C.O.D. is cute) and Olivia, the hagsploitation thing just ain’t for me. The closest I come is Olivia’s incredible performance as an old maid with a new love interest in The Heiress, which will definitely be featured here someday.
For me, it's the shot in HHSC in which her character really is revealed which shows what a great actress she was.
Charles Addams was commissioned by the studio which made Whatever Happened to Baby Jane to do an Addams family cartoon promo for the movie. You may be able to find it online. In the background it shows a theater screen, and you can see that it's Joan Crawford and Bette Davis from the movie who are on it. In the foreground, you can see the Addams family rushing in horror and revulsion from their seats. I don't remember the caption, but it's something like, "This is too much even for us!"
It's a blessing to have movies preserved for the toe-tapping, sing-along glory of great entertainment.
My family moved to NY in the sixties, and my parents adored theater. I was privileged to witness some iconic musicals, including "George M!" starring Joel Grey in the Cohan lead. (1968... Bernadette Peters earned her chops as the sister). Memorable, prompting regular viewings of Cagney in the super film role.
Another fabulous musical (based on historical America) worth mentioning is "Purlie" from 1970, adapted from Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee's play, "Purlie Victorious." Cleavon Little dazzled in the lead role. Sherman Hemsley & Melba Moore were fantastic new talented soon-to-be stars and not to take anything away from Ossie & his wife, the musical was better than the play.
Sorry to digress from movies to live theater, but seeing it in person gives one a true appreciation of the talent, strength and skill necessary to sing, dance and navigate stairs in one take! Oh, to be so gifted!!
I watched Yankee Doodle Dandy today. James Cagney was a classic and so very talented. I love him. He reminds me of my grandpa who died years ago. This is off the subject. If you haven’t ever seen Full of Life, I highly recommend it! Judy Holliday and the actor who plays the grandfather are outstanding. My husband and saw it for the first time a few weeks ago and loved it.
Doctor, there's something about that scene in which Cohan goes dancing down the staircase at the White House which brings a lump to my throat. I've never been able to find out whether Cohan actually closed shows with the flourish, "My father thanks you, my mother thanks you, my sister thanks you, and I thank you," but I hope he did. It's total kitsch, but it would have gone over beautifully with the audiences of that period. Joseph Mitchell's portrait of essentially a washed up Cohan circa 1930 is well worth the reading.
I've also never been able to find out much about the show, I'd Rather Be Right. I hope the scenarist did include the scene of a dancing Roosevelt, but obviously, someone came up with the idea. To me, that set piece within the movie is the best thing about it.
Cagney won Best Actor and how could he not have? It's not really an acting performance, and who cares?
For my money, Stephen Foster was the first great American songwriter. It would be hard for someone to ever have made a movie about him, though. He seems to have been so remote in life as to be ghostlike.
Another Cagney movie which I love and which you've probably seen is The Strawberry Blonde. There is nothing about that movie which isn't great. Even the name of Rita Hayworth's character, Virginia Brush, is perfect for a young woman in late Victorian era Brooklyn.
Yes, that is my other favorite Cagney movie! Olivia De Havilland is one of my all time favs, I don’t know a single movie of hers that I don’t love
Have you seen her in Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte? That woman was a great actress. And what a cast, her, Bette Davis, Agnes Moorhead, Joseph Cotten, and a heavily shadowed Victor Buono! That movie is one of the prime examples of the odd genre referred to as "hagsploitation," also known as "psychobiddy," which began with the immortal Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, lasted about ten years, and then just stopped.
Another movie of that genre which doesn't get enough attention also starred Olivia de Havilland, Lady in a Cage. It was James Caan's first movie. He doesn't play a good guy, and the way Miss de Haviland's character deals with him shows why it's incautious for young thugs to annoy disabled middle aged women. Jeff Corey's performance is flawless, and his last scene is one of the most poignant things in the history of movies. It's also amazing to me that in early 60s Hollywood, his character would have been given those last lines, which are Christian witness if anything is.
For years, I wondered if the last scene in the movie itself was inspired by the murder of Kitty Genovese, but it wasn't. The movie was made in 1963, before her murder. But it's intriguing to me that the same year in which Roll Out Those Hazy, Crazy, Lazy Days of Summer became a big hit would have been the year in which a movie would be made which caught the underside of America with such acuity.
Needless to say, no hagsploitation movie is suitable for your patients.
Let me amend my previous statement : ) I love De H in everything pre-hagsploitation, ha! As someone who cherishes both the young Bette (speaking of Cagney, The Bride Came C.O.D. is cute) and Olivia, the hagsploitation thing just ain’t for me. The closest I come is Olivia’s incredible performance as an old maid with a new love interest in The Heiress, which will definitely be featured here someday.
For me, it's the shot in HHSC in which her character really is revealed which shows what a great actress she was.
Charles Addams was commissioned by the studio which made Whatever Happened to Baby Jane to do an Addams family cartoon promo for the movie. You may be able to find it online. In the background it shows a theater screen, and you can see that it's Joan Crawford and Bette Davis from the movie who are on it. In the foreground, you can see the Addams family rushing in horror and revulsion from their seats. I don't remember the caption, but it's something like, "This is too much even for us!"
It's a blessing to have movies preserved for the toe-tapping, sing-along glory of great entertainment.
My family moved to NY in the sixties, and my parents adored theater. I was privileged to witness some iconic musicals, including "George M!" starring Joel Grey in the Cohan lead. (1968... Bernadette Peters earned her chops as the sister). Memorable, prompting regular viewings of Cagney in the super film role.
Another fabulous musical (based on historical America) worth mentioning is "Purlie" from 1970, adapted from Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee's play, "Purlie Victorious." Cleavon Little dazzled in the lead role. Sherman Hemsley & Melba Moore were fantastic new talented soon-to-be stars and not to take anything away from Ossie & his wife, the musical was better than the play.
Sorry to digress from movies to live theater, but seeing it in person gives one a true appreciation of the talent, strength and skill necessary to sing, dance and navigate stairs in one take! Oh, to be so gifted!!
Thx for the memories!
I saw Peters in Annie Get Your Gun on Broadway in the 90s, will never forget that! You can always digress to live theatre here : )
I watched Yankee Doodle Dandy today. James Cagney was a classic and so very talented. I love him. He reminds me of my grandpa who died years ago. This is off the subject. If you haven’t ever seen Full of Life, I highly recommend it! Judy Holliday and the actor who plays the grandfather are outstanding. My husband and saw it for the first time a few weeks ago and loved it.