Classic films appreciation thread - come and join us!

[PrivateParkin]

Following on from the recent thread about favourite actors from old films, @FatBallsAndSunflowerSeeds had the fab idea of an old movies appreciation thread... So here it is! If you like old films and actors of any kind, come and join us.

old thread

We thought we'd look out for any classic films being shown on TV, post them on this thread and then discuss them afterwards... But if you want to post about any of your favourite old films and actors at any time, that would also be fab. Basically, this is just a place to chat about old films - please come and join us!

I'm off to check the TV schedules for any potential gems coming up - I will post again with anything that looks good.

Meantime, here's James Cagney tap dancing down the stairs in Yankee Doodle Dandy - happy bank holiday everyone
m.youtube.com/watch?v=xlvB4xk4LNQ

Hi dontcallmelen hope you're doing ok. Eastbourne sounds great! I saw some of it on tv, v enjoyable.

I haven't looked at the Talking Pictures schedule for next week yet, slipping up as I've been distracted by tennis as well.

But I did notice that The Mark of Zorro (Tyrone Power/Basil Rathbone) is on Film4 on Friday at 12.45pm.

It's ages since I've seen this - have set it to record on Fri. Power is Zorro and Rathbone plays the villainous Esteban. Continuing my love of sword fights there's a great one in this, between Power and Rathbone, where they slice the tops off candles and that kind of thing (later parodied in The Court Jester). It's almost as good as the sword fight in The Adventures of Robin Hood, but done in a completely different way - less brawn, more brain, kind of thing. Rathbone said later that "Tyrone Power could fence Errol Flynn into a cocked hat" but Power had a stunt double for most of the fencing scene in Zorro AFAIK. Good fun anyway.

Also I realised afterwards the the photo of George Sanders that I posted above isn't from Rebecca, as I'd thought, but from another Hitchcock film called Foreign Correspondent. Has anyone seen this? It sounds really good, a bit of wartime propaganda but a good film as well by the sound of it. It only seems to be available on (expensive) dvd though. And George Sanders does not play a suave bad guy, repeat, does not play a suave bad guy!! He plays an urbane journalist apparently. One to look out for maybe?

And here's a nice sword fight picture from The Mark of Zorro

@PrivateParkin yes my first time at Eastbourne, lovely atmosphere & saw some really good tennis.
Ooh totally agree George Sanders does a very good turn, as a suave bounder, not seen the film you mentioned though, am also fond of a good sword duel, my late mil adored Tyrone Power.

I really love the talking picture channel the other day a film called when the bough breaks was on starring Patricia roc as a single mother who gives her son up for adoption was such a weepy

Ah Processedpea even the title of that film makes it sound like a real tear-jerker!

They do have some great films on Talking Pics don't they? I love it.

@dontcallmelen - sounds fab at Eastbourne, it always looks so lovely and relaxed on TV!

Yes I love a good duel as well! It's like choreography rather than all out action. But with a lot of power/athleticism etc involved too - it must have been such hard work getting it right with no CGI etc.

Yy Private, it’s almost balletic in the execution.
Would throughly recommend Eastbourne & the tickets are not too expensive, compared to some events.

I missed the first few minutes, but am delighted to be watching The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie on Talking Pictures at this very minute!

Ooh good film enjoy.

It's a joy so far!

Ah Monica - I've been so distracted by tennis I've not looked at Talking Pictures all week! Shameful isn't it? Coincidentally though, Dame Maggie was in the Royal Box at Wimbledon today! So a slight crossover there. Hope you enjoyed the film.
I definitely need to watch some lovely old films soon - sport is just too stressful!!

I'm not a sport fan, so TPOMJB was a welcome distraction! And Dame Maggie was as splendid as you'd expect.

And now I'm enjoying Mr Peabody and the Mermaid, starring William Powell (who I only remember seeing in My Man Godfrey) having a supposed midlife crisis at the tender age of fifty!

That sounds like fun Monica! I saw a trailer for that I think - including an actual mermaid?!

Apparently there was a power cut of some kind the other day, which affected Talking Pictures in some way - and it was completely off air for a while!! The horror!!

I can't watch horror films, we live in a house that the dcs think is haunted and I'm often alone here, so NO horror films for me!!!

What's your haunting story? I'm intrigued.

Any Doris Day fans about? Move Over Darling is on BBC4 right now...

Has anyone here seen I Am Legend? I remember reading the book, but what's the film like?

Hi all - I've been on a bit of a tennis-related sabbatical from this thread for the past 2-3 weeks. But I've had enough of that excitement now - I need some old films back in my life!!

Did anyone see Mark Kermode's "Secrets of Cinema" on bbc4 last night? I didn't, but it sound good. It was about rom-coms and how they developed - sounds like it referenced some classics along the way.

MrsCholly I do quite like Doris Day - was the one on yesterday a Rock Hudson film? I do like that pairing.

@babitababita I haven't seen I Am Legend - a bit too modern for me what with being made this century!!

Quick update: Pimpernel Smith with the lovely Leslie Howard is on Film4 tomorrow at 1.50pm. So pleased to see this is on, it's just the kind of thing I feel like watching. And I love Leslie Howard.

Oops sorry - it's at 12.50pm

Ooh Pimpernel Smith is a really good film!

Yes Move Over Darling is Doris Day/Rock Hudson. She has been declared dead having gone missing in a shipwreck 5 years earlier. He has moved on and has just married his second wife as his first wife is rescued from a remote island....

Thanks Mrs - sounds fab, I might have seen it before I think.

MillytheKid I can't remember who posted about the haunted house (was it @ppeatfruit ??) but I'm a wuss at the best of times - I definitely wouldn't be watching any creepy films if I thought I lived in a haunted house!!

Yes, I saw Mark Kermode’s Secrets of Cinema. Loved it! MK is a bit of a crush of mine - strictly cinematically - because I like his way of looking at films and he often finds really interesting things I would otherwise have overlooked. I liked his selection of films too. There were several I’ve never seen, including Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife (which looks great) and the much more recent Sleepless In Seattle.

I Am Legend is pretty good, as far as I remember.

Damn, meant to record the Mark Kermode, will have a look on iPlayer.

The Billy Wilder film The Apartment is on at 10om in the Sky Arts Channel if you have it. Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon play the lead roles.