April 27, 2014 — In all it’s glory … My Craig Model 212 reel-to-reel tape recorder … Christmas 1966 …
… the cigarette lighter microphone.
“Produced from 1965 to 1968, the Craig 212 was THE portable tape recorder of its day. It was featured at the beginning of “Mission: Impossible” episodes when Peter Graves listened to his assignment (“Good morning, Mr. Phelps…) and, in trademark fashion, the tape self-destructed in a puff of smoke.”
“Part of the fun was rewinding the tape with the unique toggle switch. Learning exactly when to stop, when to advance the tape …” – The Wayward Journey
I love you, you little reels of glossy brown tape. All the fragments of movies you captured. The grandest adventure … secretly recorded all, that’s right, ALL of Lawrence of Arabia at the Rosemont Theater (?), Portland, Oregon, summer 1971 (?) … Transcribed it by hand and typed the “script” on my portable manual typewriter (when Moris and I were in the North Seattle house, before I moved to San Diego, January 1977).
Fred MacMurray, 1908-1991, is so much more than the boringMy Three Sons tv father and the bland, befuddlement of Disney films … Am I really saying this? Yes! In the 1930s to early 1950s the charm of a real person/actor was there …
Or perhaps he was doing a masterly job portraying boring, bland and befuddled! … Whatever it was, I MUCH prefer the first half of his career.
Mid-1940s, with contented horse …
Before VCRs and DVDs, Christmas 1966 Santa gave me a Craig Model 212 reel-to-reel tape recorder. I’d sit right in front of our tv, external microphone in hand, recording segments of movies. To replay a movie via sound was a miracle!
One of my first recordings … and favorites! … the Small Fry number, Sing You Sinners, 1938 … Donald O’Connor, Bing Crosby, Fred MacMurray … A Hoagy Carmichael song deluxe. Lyrics, Frank Loesser …
I waited and waited … Sing You Sinners finally came out in DVD, 2010 … I’m watching it now!
Small fry, struttin’ by the pool room Small fry, you should be in the school room My, my, now you put down that cigarette You ain’t a grown up high and mighty yet
Small fry, dancin’ for a penny Small fry, countin’ up how many My, my, now you just listen here to me You ain’t the biggest catfish in the sea
You practice peckin’ all day long to some old radio song Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes You better listen to your Pa and someday practice the law And then you’ll be a real success … Oh, yes
Small fry, now you kissed the neighbor’s daughter Small fry, get on back in de, in de shallow water Seems I should take you ‘cross my knee Now, you ain’t the biggest catfish in the sea
You’ve got your feet all soakin’ wet Mmm, mmm, you’re gonna be the death of me yet Oh me, oh my, small fry
You call me small fry You is most infinitesimal too big for your britches Now you call me small fry Oh looky here, shorty, I wonder where my switch is My, my, my, my, now I never heard such carryin’ on You better look in the closet, Ma. I bet the gin is all gone Oh, yea Small fry, you was bettin’ in the ponies Ah, you’re just burned ’cause I was winnin’. Some guy. HE picks all the phonies My, my, my, my, now you just listen here to… I know, I know, I know, I ain’t the biggest catfish in the sea Let’s hear somethin’ new
You got a pinocle deck in your pocket What happened to Ma’s weddin’ ring? Did you hock it? Oh, yea. Oh, yea. Oh, yea.
You signed your own report card last night Well, why don’t YOU learn how to write? And then you’ll be a real success Yes? Yes
Small fry, now you kissed the neighbor’s daughter Sure, I gave her a little smackeroo, but wise guy, YOU”RE the one who taught her … Seems I should take you ‘cross my knee. Now, you ain’t the biggest catfish in the sea Mom, I think I know what to do with this boy. Got castor oil around here? Why he just slipped it in your beer Oh me Oh my Small fry
In Upperworld, 1934, Ginger Rogers sings a Pre-Code-ish song, Shake Your Powder Puff. Researching this afternoon … there’s also a Merry Melodies cartoon, Shake Your Powder Puff, 1934! … Which is included with my Gay Divorcee DVD!
From Errol Flynn … and me! … Sol Polito? … Cinematographer … I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, 1932; Petrified Forest, 1936; The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1938; The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, 1939; Now Voyager, 1942 … THAT Sol Polito!
… AND Dodge City, 1938 …
Sol Polito, 1892-1960, nominated for three Oscars.
Sol Polito … with fellow Italian emigré, Tony Gaudio, 1883-1951, helped create the distinct visual character of Warner Bros. films in the 1930s and 1940s.
Sol Polito … Gold Diggers of 1933 … Sorry, Wrong Number, 1948 (I directed a scene and played Barbara Stanwyck’s role, senior year, high school. Thanks, Mr. Paul Barton!)
Morning mist … The scene that had me asking, “Who IS this by?”
Final … riding into the sunrise …
Left – The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1938, Olivia de Havilland; Right – Now, Voyager, 1942, Bette Davis
** Dodge City, 1939 … His hat … immense, fit for a man to swashbuckle across the Texas plains …
And now he’s settled down … No more open-throated buckskin … A buttoned-up, small-hatted dashing sheriff kinda fella … Olivia de Havilland has enough fire in her eyes that he may be loosenin’ up those buttons a time or three …
All eyes on Beulah Bondi! … Not James Ellison. Not Ginger Rogers. It’s all about Beulah! Showing a bit of her Beulah gams … A moment of non-motherly hotcha-cha merriment! … Vivacious Lady, 1938
GIFMaker.me … free … and it really works! My first animated gif! … Warning – continuous viewing may cause dizziness …
My ABSOLUTE favorite … They Had Faces Then: Annabella to Zorina: The Superstars, Stars and Starlets of the 1930’s … John Springer and Jack D. Hamilton, 1974
Oh, Ruth! … From the rugged charm of Steve Cochran, Tomorrow Is Another Day, 1951 … to the Acapulco gigolo confident smarm of Hugh O’Brian, Love Has Many Faces, 1965 … But you’re a sharp cookie and realistic about vacation flings for hire …
Hugh! … What about Wyatt Earp, “brave, courageous and bold”??
Ruth Roman, Virginia Grey … eyeing the prime Acapulco beef … “Irene, how old do I look?” … “The truth, or what he’ll tell you?”
“Choice. A new shipment. A little overripe, but choice … Lesson number one, that’s the best kind.”
“We’ll give ’em a couple of minutes. Let ’em savor us …”
Glossy suds with some great lines …
As the sun slowly sets in the west … let us not forget the kinder, gentler Hugh O’Brian, The Adventures of Wyatt Earp, 1955-61 … “Long live his fame and long life his glory and long may his story be told.”
Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford, Constance Bennett … 1933 Disney cartoon, Mickey’s Gala Premier on YouTube … Chock-full of Hollywood stars, most from MGM!
“We like Mickey and his happy smile He will have us rolling in the aisle”
Front – Marie Dressler, Wallace Beery, Will Rogers Middle – Graucho Marx, Charlie Chaplin, Lionel Barrymore (Rasputin and the Empress, 1932) Back – Harold Lloyd
Steve Cochran, 1917-1965 … A Steve Cochran film festival would include these contenders …
The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946 – Virginia Mayo
Steve, his chest, and Virginia Mayo were in 6 films together …
** The Damned Don’t Cry, 1950 – Joan Crawford … Robert Osborne’s TCM intro, June 9, 2010: “Best of all is Steve Cochran, playing a Bugsy Siegel type … he proves to be the best leading man Joan Crawford had in any film in the 1950s. Someone who could simultaneously look as tough and attractive as she did at this point in her fabled career.”
Storm Warning, 1951 – Ginger Rogers … Theirs is NOT a friendly encounter … “One source of satisfaction in playing the role of Hank in Storm Warning was the feeling that I might be making a small contribution toward racial tolerance.” – Saturday Evening Post.
Tomorrow Is Another Day, 1951 – Ruth Roman … Going on the lam as migrant farm workers, Steve Cochran style!
Il Grido, 1957 – Mama, mia! …Aldo! … Such neo-realistic Italian despair! And they ALL speak Italiano … Row 2 – Alida Valli; Dorian Gray. Row 3 – Betsy Blair! … yes, the Betsy of Marty, 1955, and Gene Kelly’s first wife, 1941-57 … Hit by the Hollywood blacklist …
Come Next Spring, 1956 – Ann Sheridan … Wanderer wins back the love of his family in 1920s Arkansas. No noir in sight … Cochran purchased the story, then sold it to Republic.
We’re the TV generation! Debra, me, Marcie, Judy, Laurie … My birthday party, June 5, 1957. Glenwood house, Vancouver, WA … That could possibly be Mr. Moon … (plus Mom’s bear) …
Just discovered the June 5, 1957 Portland, Oregon TV schedule, Eugene Register-Guard newspaper … Look what’s listed at 4:15 pm on KOIN-TV, channel 6 … Mr. Moon!
Our tv is a star! … Here it is in the movie Matinee, 1993! … an RCA Victor
“A small-time film promoter releases a kitschy horror film during the Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962. ” John Goodman, Cathy Moriarty
Art Linkletter’s House Party: “Premiered on CBS September 1, 1952 and became television’s longest-running daytime variety show by the time it completed its run on September 5, 1969 … by February 1953 it aired from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 pm, remaining in that time slot for 15 years.” … Clearly remember Art’s “Kids Say the Darndest Things” segment at the end of each show.
“Got TV” – Mom wrote on calendar, March 30, 1956. A red letter day!! … The beginning of it all …
OK, OK … Now for the DVD tv series (or parts thereof) purchased “here and there” through Amazon. Most are the “early years”, when they were at their most appealing … And most were on AntennaTV or MeTV this past year. So, going back to April 2013, beginning with most recent orders …
Rhoda, 1-3 – (1974-78)
The Golden Girls, 1-2 – (1985-1992)
Leave It to Beaver, 2-3 – (1957-1963)
The Middle, 1-3 – (2009- )
Downton Abbey, 4 – (2010- )
The People’s Choice, v. 1 – (1955-58)
I Love Lucy, 1 – (1951-57) – slimline case to replace bulkier
I Love Lucy: Colorized Christmas – better than it sounds!
My Uncle Silas, 1 – (2001, 2003)
American Experience: JFK – (2013)
As It Happened: JFK Assassination
Hazel, 1-3 – (1961-66) – Season 1, black & white
Highway Patrol, 1 – (1955-59)
The Patty Duke Show, 1-2 – (1963-66)
Bewitched, 1 – (1964-72) – Season 1, black & white
OK, OK … the DVDs purchased “here and there” through Amazon. Most are favorites previously recorded from TCM. With an HDtv (Nov. 2012) they deserve a quality presentation … Always on the lookout for lowest prices! … So, going back to April 2013, beginning with most recent orders …
Errol Flynn Signature Collection – Captain Blood, The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, 1939 (why I bought this set – Bette Davis, color), The Sea Hawk, They Died with Their Boots On
Our Vines Have Tender Grapes, 1945
The Human Comedy, 1943
Out West with the Hardys, 1938
Woman of the Year, 1943
Bette Davis Collection – The Old Maid, All This and Heaven Too, The Great Lie, In This Our Life, Watch on the Rhine, Deception
Cat Ballou, 1965
Trail of the Lonesome Pine, 1936 – color!
Moonrise Kingdom, 2012
The Rounders, 1965
TCM Greatest Classic Film Collection – Bette Davis – Now Voyager, Dark Victory, Old Acquaintance, Jezebel
Miracle of the White Stallions, 1963
The Great White Hope, 1970
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, 2004
Midnight in Paris, 2011
Thank God It’s Friday – yes, disco. 1978. The very year I was in San Diego, boogy-oogy-oogying up a storm with the Saudis!
Treasures from the American Film Archive: The West, 1898-1938 – Includes Clara Bow’s Mantrap, 1926
Radio Days, 1987
TCM Greatest Classic Legends – Katharine Hepburn – The Philadelphia Story, Stage Door, Little Women, Morning Glory
Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, 1960
Wajda, 2012 – DVD & Blu-ray – Saudi Arabia, female director
Popeye, 1980
Matinee, 1993 – (our first tv!)
Return to Peyton Place, 1961
The Best of Everything, 1959
Honolulu, 1939
It’s Always Fair Weather, 1955
She, 1935
The Guilt Trip, 2012
Shane, 1953 – Blu-ray
The Dawn Patrol, 1938
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, 1953
Earrings of Madame de…, 1953
TCM Greatest Classic Films – Tarzan – Tarzan the Ape Man, Tarzan Escapes, Tarzan Finds a Son, Tarzan and His Mate
Whoopee!, 1930 – color!
It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946 – 60th anniversary
A Christmas Story, 1983
Private Affairs of Bel Ami, 1947 – tape
State Fair, 1945 – 60th anniversary
The Jazz Singer, 1927 – 3-disc deluxe – includes Elsie Janis, Goodbye-ee
Ramona, 1936
Oklahoma!, 1955 – 50th anniversary
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, 1994 – Blu-ray
Charlie Chan Collection, v.1, 2, 3 – The Black Camel, 1931 (great Hawaii locations! why I bought ’em!) – All Warner Oland as Chan
Saturday, April 19, 2014 – To keep my movie (and tv) stuff together, imported them from my first blog, “Do What’s Right, Not What’s Easy … Everything I know, I learned from the movies … mostly!” Now they’re all nice and cozy, right here, in “Movies, Of Course!”
First Do What’s Right post, August 15, 2009. Sporadic sprinkles until March 13, 2013 (one year ago!) when I started with more regular seri-osity.
Another yearstone … One year ago, I cut the DishTV satellite connection. Free, over-the-air digital broadcasting it has been and will continue to be! …
Saving over $70 a month, splurged a bit buying a DVD here and there from Amazon … Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime for one year ($79 until November 2014). Going up to $99 after that.
What’s on right now, free, on OPB 10.2 (Oregon Public Broadcasting) … The Stranger, 1946. Edward G. Robinson, Loretta Young, Orson Welles (also directed). As a PBS channel, no commercials! Classic films shown twice in a row! Every Saturday night! … I’m watching it as I type, with my handy-dandy rear view mirror!
Mr. Novak, 1963-1965, James Franciscus, Dean Jagger. Remember watching it. Hope, hope, hope it will be on DVD soon. A few episodes are on Youtube. Stands the test of time!
“The experiences of a young, tough-minded, idealistic high school English teacher on his first job provided the stories in this series. John Novak begins at Jefferson High School in Los Angeles under Principal Albert Vane, who doesn’t always agree with Novak’s approach, but admires his dedication to teaching.” – imdb.com
Searching for Mr. Novak images led me to The Millie’s blog, Classicforever … Oh. My. Gosh!! … She’s a younger me! … Half Finnish, lives in Seattle … Lawrence of Arabia … Peter McEnery … Hayley Mill’s pink outfit in The Moon-Spinners … Michael Callan … So much more … And she’s barely twenty! The passion, the excitement! … Plus her own unique favorites, of course … Hope for the future!
From The Millie’s Mr. Novak post, July 6, 2013:
“Oh my gosh. I am obsessed with this show. I don’t know how I’ve never seen it before. I’ve definitely heard the name before, but I randomly decided to watch an episode tonight.” … (Note from me: Which is what I did today!)
“And, I cannot stop watching it. Of course, this will only last for a short while longer because there are only like three episodes on YouTube. SHEESH. Get on this Warner Archive!”
Update, April 19, 2014 – The Millie made her first trek to the TCM Film Festival (the 5th annual) this April!
… the cigarette lighter microphone.
Movies, Of Course! 