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

Ooh, All About Eve is amazing!

Another British comedy classic on TP this morning - Alec Guinness in The Captain's Paradise at 11:55. Guinness is the titular Captain, who juggles an unlikely double life with staid spouse Celia Johnson at home in Gibraltar, and his fiery lover Yvonne de Carlo in Morocco. Hi-jinks ensue.

Just the thing for staying inside in the warm on a cold and wet December Saturday morning if you don't have to be anywhere else

Oops, sorry! Correction - The Captain's Parafise is on at 13:15 today.

Holiday Inn is on Film 4 right now

The Captain's PARADISE! Gaah!

I have just watched The Fallen Idol this afternoon - really enjoyed it. What an unusual storyline! The boy playing Philip was excellent.

I missed your post about Captain's Paradise Halsall - it sounds good. Will look out for it cropping up again on the TP schedule.

Has anyone ever seen Christmas In Connecticut with Barbara Stanwyck? I've watched all the festive staples so many times, so I'm looking for something else, and this came up on a search. It sounds good (from imdb):

"A food writer who has lied about being the perfect housewife must try to cover her deception when her boss and a returning war hero invite themselves to her home for a traditional family Christmas. "

Oh and I also want to see The Bishop's Wife, which also looks fab - and was recommended on here. Will try and find that somewhere too.

Oh and hi Monica

Is Holiday Inn the one where they wear the red dresses with the fur trim, or is that White Christmas? I always confuse those two.

Oh no, I didn't see Night of the Demon either - that sounds excellent as well. That will teach me to forget to check the thread!

Oh I love BISHOPS WIFE - don't look it up though cos otherwise you will miss the surprise

Watched Captain's paradise this afternoon

Thanks Subtitles

The Bishop's Wife is on TV before Christmas! Am setting myself lots of reminders...

I've seen Christmas in Connecticut, Private - it's quite good fun!

( White Christmas is the one with the red costumes. Holiday Inn is in B & W, though apparently they have made a colourised version )

Sounds good Halsall! I'll try and get hold of it.

Yes that's right - Holiday Inn is in b&w of course - so the bright red Mrs Christmas dresses couldn't have been in that!!

Another festive film-lovers' alert - although not an actual film this time. Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema - Christmas edition - is on BBC4, 20 Dec at 9pm - presume this is right before The Bishop's Wife. I know he covers all kinds of different films in the series, but I presume some festive oldies will be included in this episode.

If anyone sees The Man Who Came to Dinner in the schedules please let me know. If you don't know it, it's a brilliant Bette Davis film set at Xmas. Bette is PA to an insufferable, and influential, radio broadcaster who trips on the steps going to dinner with some provincial culture vultures and threatens to sue them unless they give in to his every whim. Hilarity ensues

Will do, Davros. I think I saw it last year!

Thanks. I can't get it on Apple or Netflix and I had it recorded on Virgin but we switched boxes. We don't use DVDs anymore but I may have to insist on one being set up

That sounds great Davros. Will keep my eyes peeled!

Hello,
Does anyone know if it's possible to watch Talking Pictures (or similar) on computer instead of on TV? My TV aerial is so old that the wiring has crumbled! So I watch TV via iPlayer or casting from my computer.
Thank you for any suggestions on watching classic films online.

Hi Stella I don't know of any ways to watch Talking Pics online I'm afraid, but I'm not very tech-minded so there may well be ways of doing so - hopefully someone will know more than me!

Amazon prime has quite a few old films included with its online subscription (£7.99 a month I think). You can get BFI Player through Prime as well for loads of old British films - there's a free trial but normally it's extra on top of Prime.

I usually dip in and out of prime because it's easy to cancel - I have it at the moment for Christmas deliveries etc, and there are some good films included at the mo.

ICE COLD IN ALEX - film 4 plus 1 - @ 14.50

CONSPIRACY OF HEARTS - LONDON LIVE @ 14.45

Oh, I never tire of Ice Cold In Alex. Did you watch? My guilty little secret is that whenever I’m channelhopping at the moment I seem to end up watching Love Actually.

John Mills is one of my favourite actors, so I watch him in films over and over again

I have a lovely book/autobiography of his that is full of photographs of personal life at home etc but it also has photographs taken while on set filming

The last scene in the bar when they are drinking the beer was filmed first in the morning and they got quite squiffy by the end

I was wrapping up presents last night while watching love actually on itv2

The John Mills book sounds good Subtitles. I'm never sure whether I want to know too much behind the scenes info, but then I can't help myself and always end up reading/watching anyway. Which is how I found out the snow in It's A Wonderful Life was made from a combination of fire extinguisher type foam and sugar!! Imagine being covered in that! Ugh.

I missed Ice Cold In Alex - I missed it last time it was on as well! Great film, one of my dad's favourites

I have watched more Christmassy Hallmark-made for TV movies recently than I'd like to admit! But... hoping to make up for it with The Bishop's Wife tomorrow night on BBC4... Matinee idols Grant and Niven, plus Loretta Young - hoping she's got one of her amazing plaited hairstyles on show. Will anyone else be watching?

If my memory serves me well (which it often doesn’t), The Bishop’s Wife got a very positive mention here a little while back, so I’ll try to watch it tonight (10pm on BBC4). Thanks for the tip!

It's A Wonderful Life is on TCM on Christmas Day, should anyone feel the need At 2pm.