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

Oh, by the way, I missed Desk Set a few weeks ago - with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Well, it's on again on Talking Pictures on Thursday morning, at 9:15 iirc (but do check to be sure). Hurrah!

And Whistle Down The Wind is on tomorrow afternoon at 12:50. It's a great little film, for anyone who hasn't seen it. Really touching, and a great score by Malcom Arnold.

Hi Halsall yes, I managed to make it all the way through Since You Went Away. I enjoyed it on the whole, although it was a bit heavy on the patriotism!

Thanks for the heads up re Desk Set - I recorded it last time but missed the first few minutes, so have set up a re-recording for this Thursday. I might save it to watch during the festive season though, as I seem to remember it was set at Christmas. It was a feast for the eyes anyway with the colour and outfits, so I'll look forward to watching it again.

What a lovely thread! That 'Uptown Funk' is my favourite thing on Youtube, so utterly wonderful, and whoever made is is a genius as it is so perfectly synchronised.

gingham I love that Uptown Funk video too - it's amazing!

Finally got round to watching Desk Set last night. Slight but charming. Some of the clothes were great. Was tickled to see that the screenplay was by Phoebe and Henry Ephron - guess their daughter's name? 😂

Bagel yes it was the clothes/colours that struck me the most as well. Rather than the actual storyline! I didn't notice the writers' names - that's fab. I love Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally etc - similar old-fashioned rom-com type stories

There is a sweet-sounding film on Talking Pics today at 4.05pm It Should Happen To You directed by George Cukor, with Judy Holliday, Peter Lawton "and introducing Jack Lemmon" in his first film role.

A small-time model seeking her 15 minutes of fame tries to make it big in New York City. I'm looking forward to this - sounds funny and sweet, and I've been on the lookout for Judy Holliday films recently since I heard about Bells Are Ringing (which I still haven't seen)!

Now tv (might be in other places too) has the old South Bank shows, with short intros by Melvyn Bragg. Nice to rewatch some of them. Just saw the Jack Lemmon* one, in which he mentions It Should Happen to You.*

10 RILLINGTON PLACE film just about to start on BBC2

Subtitles I've never seen it - looks a bit scary for me! Good that BBC2 are showing an old film though - they don't tend to show many these days.

It would have been Joan Fontaine's birthday today, one of the most beautiful actresses of the era IMHO.

Also - Dame Angela Lansbury was 93 last week, still going strong - she's in the new Mary Poppins film. I absolutely love this photo of her - keeping her crown straight while eating a burger - during a break in filming The Court Jester. What a doll. Angela Lansbury

Bagel thanks for the tip - will look out for that.

Just flicking through the channels and have found Fire Over England (Flora Robson, Larry Oliver, Vivien Leigh) is on the Talking Pictures channel right now.

That sounds good MrsCholly - I didn't see it though unfortunately. Did you watch?

Article here from The Guardian in appreciation of Talking Pictures. It says a lot of what we've already said on this thread, although with more of a focus on the "nostalgia" aspect, rather than the fact that many of the films shown are just bloody brilliant, and still relevant today!

I caught about the last 30 mins, definitely one I will watch in full if I can catch it again. Flora Robson was excellent as Elizabeth I, an older actress with the gravitas and beating required for the role.

Vivien Leigh was almost luminously beautiful in her role as lady in waiting and rival in love to the much older queen. Legend holds that it was on the set of this movie that she met and fell in love with Laurence Olivier and it is a woman deeply in love that you can see shining through her performance.

good summary of the plot from The Guardian here

*CARY GRANT FANS

BBC1 TONIGHT 22.45
*
🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

Just about to start 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

Is the Cary Grant prog with Alan Yentob! Can't stand him so I'll have to pass.

Only introduced by Alan yentob not really him in it

Films from his own camera and his unpublished autobiography read by Jonathan pryce

I realised as soon as I posted that I should just switch over and see - so ended up watching most of it.

Thanks for the heads up MrsC! I didn't see it last night but it's available on iPlayer - have downloaded to watch on my day off!

Yes, I was mightily relieved that Yentob appeared briefly at the top of that film but not otherwise - thank goodness! I watched it on catch-up and enjoyed it, especially Grant's own home movies. What a difficult early life he had.

On a bit of a tangent, I'm just watching They Were Sisters, which I recorded from Talking Pictures (inevitably!) a few weeks ago. Aficionados of Persephone books may recognise the title from the novel by Dorothy Whipple. James Mason is absolutely spine-chilling in it as a domestic abuser.....it's like watching one of the threads from the Relationships board here . Horribly compelling. I'd recommend it if it comes on again, though - if you can bear it.

The lovely film The Red Shoes is on BBC now (missed the beginning!) and will be on iPlayer for sometime after.

Halsall- I've had that on my list of films to watch for the last 30 years! One day I'll get to see it!

Also recording the Red Shoes to watch when the philistines in the family are out. It probably my favourite film ever - just the look of it is running, the costumes, the sets, the locations, ahhh bliss!

Stunning not running aargh!