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briankistler
Reviews
A Very Missing Person (1972)
always classy Eve
I saw this movie when it came out in '72. I was just looking to see if I could find it on DVD or video, but did not see that it was available. Eve Arden was incredible. At this point of her career she was in her early 60s (she was born in 1908; not in 1912 like some biographies say). She had the starring role in this movie, and she carried it off so well. As is always the case, with her movies and guest spots on TV, she was so charming and classy; also very funny. And for a woman 63 or 64 years of age, she seemed to have a boundless amount of energy----looked to me like someone who had no plans on slowly down, anytime soon.
And, in my opinion anyway, Eve always looked so much younger than her chronological age. I am reminded that, in the late 60s, she was playing the role of a mother-in-law, who was supposed to be in her 40s, when she was already right around 60 ("The Mothers-In-Law"). Also, in the class movie, "Grease", she was about 70, when she played the principal. She looked more like her early to mid 50s in that role.
In "A Very Missing Person", she played a woman who had been an English teacher. I wonder if her popular series, "Our Miss Brooks" (in which she also played a teacher) had something to do with why the producers picked her for this role (one could say the same thing about "Grease", since she was also in "Education" there).
I would have to disagree that "Grease" was her swan song, like one of the other reviewers of this movie pointed out. If you look at her IMDb credit list, she continued to make films, and do guest spots, well into the 80s (and not just Grease II). The long illness and death of her husband, in the 80s, no doubt slowed her down (and not just her own later health problems).
I remember really enjoying this movie. I have not seen it since 1972, so I don't recall everything about it. But I would have to agree with the reviewer who said that Eve would have made a great Jessica Fletcher on "Murder She Wrote". May Eve rest in peace. The 16 years, since her death, are 16 years WAY TOO LONG. How I wish she were still with us, and as healthy as her character in "A Very Missing Person".
Wait Till Your Father Gets Home (1972)
A few observations
One of the commentators mentioned that this was a Saturday morning cartoon. Wrong......it was aired during prime time, just like the original 1960 Flintstones series. The show was clearly aimed at an adult audience; not just because of the time slot; I remember that one of the show's sponsors was Haynes panty hose. I cannot agree that this show was a parody of All in the Family, as this same commentator mentioned; at least not in the sense that the father figure was a parody of Archie Bunker. The father in this show was not at all bigoted, as was Archie Bunker (and he was also a much more educated man).
I do remember seeing a very humorous old lady, in at least one episode, who was paranoid, thinking that there was "a communist under every bed". My mother commented to me, at the time, that she thought that this character was a take-off from the old lady in the 1971 movie "Cold Turkey" (about the town that gave up smoking for a whole month), and I believe that she was correct. "Cold Turkey" came out a year before "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home" debuted.
It's really a shame that this series did not make more than one season's worth of episodes (I believe it ran for two years, but the second year the shows were just repeats). I thought that it was a great show. When it debuted in '72, it had been 6 years since "The Flintstones" prime time show had ended. I missed seeing adult cartoons on TV. After "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home" ended, adult TV animation hit a dry spell for the next 15+ years, until The Simpsons began.
Brian
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Saw the Play in Madrid, Spain
The first time that I logged on to this site, to read the reviews of IMDb users, I was pretty disappointed at how harsh and dismissive a lot of the comments were. Many of them seemed to parrot the remarks of a lot of the professional critics (I frequently disagree with them). I found it interesting that, a month or so later, there were at least just as many glowing and positive remarks. I was delighted to read a lot of these latest commentaries, because I find myself in agreement with them.
I saw the film version of the Phantom the night of Christmas Eve 2004. What a treat this was! I had seen the stage version, for the first time in my life, pretty close to one year earlier, when I was in Madrid, Spain. I had never even heard the music before December 2003. I felt that the movie was about at about 95% to being just as good as the play.
It was a very, VERY POWERFUL, magical and cosmic night, when I saw the Phantom performed on a European stage. It sent shivers down my spine, when the chandelier was raised to the top of the stage, at the beginning of the play, accompanied by that overpowering, pulsating and beautiful music. I was especially overwhelmed by the steady, heavy beat of the drums that accented that music so nicely. The movie had the exact same effect on me. Both times I found myself reduced to tears.
It was also very powerful, in both the play and the movie, when we hear the Phantom sing for the very first time, while he is back stage; especially the way his voice LOUDLY ECHOES in a HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL WAY(which instills both horror and charm). In a way this special effect sort of reminds me of the same feeling that one gets when hearing a harpsichord play (a kind of Victorian or Gothic feel). Then, shortly after that, we see him for the very first time, in the flesh, with the leading lady. Talk about a dramatic entrance! (By this time the story has already been going on for quite some time; thank goodness there is still plenty of quality time left, with the delightful and terrifying phantom).
Once the Phantom is no longer singing in an echoing voice, his voice is awesomely BEAUTIFUL. Again, I felt this way with both the play and the movie. His beautiful voice is a perfect metaphor for the fact that the Phantom was neither black nor white.....neither a total villain, nor totally sympathetic(though I did find myself rooting for him----even crying for him).
For me, the only thing which prevents the movie from being 100% on the money with the play, was that some of the climactic action transpired a little more slowly, than on stage. This took away, a little, from the dramatic impact (but not terribly so).
I admit to being a little bit biased. I had not been to Spain for 23 years, and had always wanted to go back (I was an exchange student there in 1981). I had endured a 14-15 hour whirlwind trip, in getting over to Spain (between flights and layovers). And after all that, that very same evening, despite my jet lag and a 7-hour time difference, I was seated in the Lope de Vega Theater, enjoying the Phantom. It all felt so magical; especially after a 23-year hiatus from that country. So I know that when I saw the movie, last Christmas, in a way it was kind of like revisiting Spain all over again!
Roger Ramjet (1965)
Like Scarlett, Rhett, this series disappeared with the wind!
Very interesting that the author of the commentary at the very top of the page (at least at the top of the page as of late December 2002) is from the same city as I! Equally interesting that none of the commentaries go back any earlier than 2001 or 2002.
As far as what this author from my hometown said about Rocky and Bullwinkle and Jay Ward----Roger Ramjet was not produced by Jay Ward and Bill Scott who put together Rocky and Bullwinkle. This was produced by Patomime Pictures, headed up by Fred Crippen. I am reading the "bible" of Jay Ward cartoons right now, "The Moose That Roared" and this book clearly states which cartoons were and were not part of Jay Ward (and this one was not). I also took a gander at the cast of voices. None of them were used on Rocky and Bullwinkle.
I do not remember this cartoon extremely well. I caught it in re-runs one to three years after it debuted. I think that by 1968 or 1969, it just totally disappeared from the viewing area where I grew up (Southeastern Pennsylvania; not far from Philadelphia).
I do recall really loving the animation. Perhaps part of this was because it reminded me of the animation for Jay Ward cartoons (which I always liked). It is possible that some of the artists who worked for Jay Ward also worked for Pantomime Pictures (I know that some of Ward's artists had worked for Total Television Cartoons---which brought us Tennessee Tuxedo and Underdog).
Since I was under 10 years old (when Roger Ramjet re-runs were apparently permanently banished from my area), it is possible that some of the folks, with the more negative reviews, may be correct. All I know, however, is that I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this cartoon at the time. I loved the voices and I remember really relishing the story lines back then. For a long time it came on late afternoons Monday through Friday. Eventually it was moved to Sunday mornings. It was a welcome, very pleasant diversion for me, right before I was whisked off to church by my parents.
I just could not believe, for the rest of my life, that I could never find it anywhere on TV again. Over the last few decades I have thought, many times, that I would love to see Roger Ramjet at least one more time. Perhaps it appears on cable, occasionally, but I have not had cable in years.
These Three (1936)
I Don't Know
I don't know.............as much as I love movies from the 30s and the 40s (and even some of the early talkies from the late 20s), I was disappointed in this film, after seeing the Audrey Hepburn/Shirley McLaine version, which came out 25 years later. Much of the acting was not very good, compared to the fine talent in "The Children's Hour"; especially in the case of Miriam Hopkins, who played Martha, and the actresses who played Martha's aunt and Mrs. Tilford (the grandmother who believed Mary Tilford's lie). Of these three actresses, the worst was the aunt. The best of these was the elderly lady who played Grandmother Tilford (so I'll admit, she was somewhat gifted). Actually, it wasn't so much that these actresses were so bad; it was just that their counterparts, in "The Children's Hour" were so great. I have no qualms with the 1936 version changing the theme from lesbianism to a heterosexual love triangle. Had the acting been outstanding (or better than the 1961 film), that would not have fazed me one bit.
Green Acres (1965)
Great Model
Whether it has been deliberate or not, I have seen Green Acres in so many other sitcoms----where one or two characters are normal and everyone else is weird:
1) News Radio 2) 3rd Rock From The Sun 3) The Bob Newhart Show 4) Newhart
In some ways, Eddie Albert's straight character was the funniest thing on the show-----because he was so normal, and he had to deal with weirdos all the time......There was no escaping them!!......Ever! Even the poor man's wife was "off the wall" and "out to lunch" (and she came from a completely different environment, than all the weird country folk). So this kind of made him seem "weird" and "abnormal", since no one else in his environment was that way.
On the other hand, if I could pick only one character, who was the funniest and the best, I would pick Mr. Haney (portrayed by the wonderful Pat Buttram). Almost impossible to choose one, but he made me laugh the most. He was absolutely hilarious! Try watching Pat Buttram in a few really very serious, SERIOUS roles from the TV show "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". I think he only made two guest spots on that show, but how fascinating it was to see him in these masterpieces, which were not only serious........but SCARY and CREEPY! How very well he played pathetic characters on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Having seen him first, on Green Acres as a clown and a rogue, it was quite an experience seeing him later in these roles.
There were quite a few times when I saw Oliver Douglas and Mr. Haney alone in a scene, acting one-on-one. I seriously wondered if the director had to order take, after take after take, because Pat Buttram may have made Eddie Albert roar with laughter, with that voice of his..........and how well he played that "swindler of a character".
Roger Ramjet (1965)
Like Scarlett, Rhett, this series disappeared with the wind!
Very interesting that the author of the commentary at the very top of the page (at least at the top of the page as of late December 2002) is from the same city as I! Equally interesting that none of the commentaries go back any earlier than 2001 or 2002.
As far as what this author from my hometown said about Rocky and Bullwinkle and Jay Ward----Roger Ramjet was not produced by Jay Ward and Bill Scott who put together Rocky and Bullwinkle. This was produced by Patomime Pictures, headed up by Fred Crippen. I am reading the "bible" of Jay Ward cartoons right now, "The Moose That Roared" and this book clearly states which cartoons were and were not part of Jay Ward (and this one was not). I also took a gander at the cast of voices. None of them were used on Rocky and Bullwinkle.
I do not remember this cartoon extremely well. I caught it in re-runs one to three years after it debuted. I think that by 1968 or 1969, it just totally disappeared from the viewing area where I grew up (Southeastern Pennsylvania; not far from Philadelphia).
I do recall really loving the animation. Perhaps part of this was because it reminded me of the animation for Jay Ward cartoons (which I always liked). It is possible that some of the artists who worked for Jay Ward also worked for Pantomime Pictures (I know that some of Ward's artists had worked for Total Television Cartoons---which brought us Tennessee Tuxedo and Underdog).
Since I was under 10 years old (when Roger Ramjet re-runs were apparently permanently banished from my area), it is possible that some of the folks, with the more negative reviews, may be correct. All I know, however, is that I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this cartoon at the time. I loved the voices and I remember really relishing the story lines back then. For a long time it came on late afternoons Monday through Friday. Eventually it was moved to Sunday mornings. It was a welcome, very pleasant diversion for me, right before I was whisked off to church by my parents.
I just could not believe, for the rest of my life, that I could never find it anywhere on TV again. Over the last few decades I have thought, many times, that I would love to see Roger Ramjet at least one more time. Perhaps it appears on cable, occasionally, but I have not had cable in years.
Rocky and His Friends (1959)
Great Reminiscences
I guess like most fans of Rocky and Bullwinkle, these days, I saw the majority of these shows in re-runs......Though I think that I did catch some of the latter shows, when they aired for the very first time, at the very tail end of the series (I was nearly 5 years old, when the series was canceled in 1964).
Probably my favorite part of this vintage cartoon series was the episodes of Rock & Bullwinkle.......and also the Fractured Fairytales. Sometimes I think that I liked the Fractured Fairytales even better than the episodes of R & B.
Jay Ward was very clever, however, to have so many different "side shows", if you will, on the program. I pretty much liked all of them (Peabody, Dudley Do-Right too). My least favorite of "Rocky's friends" was Aesop's Fables---but even that had some redeeming qualities.
Though I always loved the show, I think that I first REALLY became interested in it when my Great-Aunt Esther admitted to having met and known Edward Everett Horton, who used to narrate the Fractured Fairytales on the series. She met him when the two of them lived in the New York City area, when he was doing "winter stock". Supposedly Mr. Horton was born around 1886 and my great-aunt was born in 1895.
I had always loved his wonderful, grandfatherly voice, which was just so perfect for conjuring up the images of those priceless and precious fairytales (albeit "fractured" fairytales). I think that Edward Everett Horton truly lent a genuine modicum of CLASS and DELIGHT to those cartoons, by being the one to tell the story.
I started trying to tape all of the fractured fairytales, since my great-aunt and he had been acquaintances and since I liked him very much. I was not successful in getting too many of them on tape.
In the process of taping these tales I gained an even keener appreciation for the other voice-over actors, that Jay Ward used. Jay Ward was really quite loyal to these people----He generally only used four people, on all of his cartoons, over and over again-----but these folks were really all that he needed because they were truly THE BEST!!
I came to love the characterizations of June Foray (who did almost all of the female voices on all of Ward's cartoons---and some of the male ones---like Rocky and young boys), Daws Butler (in Rocky and Bullwinkle he was mostly used for the Fractured Fairytales, but he was a lot more active in the George of the Jungle series----including the Tom Slick and Super Chicken episodes), Paul Frees (Boris Badenov, Captain Peachfuzz, Fred the Lion in Super Chicken and the Narrator in many of Ward's cartoons)and Bill Scott (Bill usually did the starring roles in all of Ward's cartoons-----perhaps the fact that he was a co-producer, with Jay Ward, had something to do with that----he was Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, Peabody, George of the Jungle, Tom Slick, Super Chicken, etc., etc.).
As much as I loved listening to Edward Everett Horton's voice, I think that the rich talent, of all of these other voice-over artists, far outshined Mr. Horton (who was just a narrator).
Since my great-aunt had known him, I had hoped to write to him, but I was too late. He died in the Fall of 1970 and I began trying to write to him in 1971 or 1972. It was a rude awakening when I learned that he was already dead for some time.
I did, however, manage to find, write to and exchange letters with all four of my above "heros": June Foray, Daws Butler, Paul Frees and Bill Scott. June and Daws were the most fascinating of these people.
Sadly, except for Ms. Foray, they are all dead. On September 18th, June Foray will be 83, 81 or 75, depending on which year of birth is correct for her......I have seen dates of 1917, 1919 and 1925, given for her, and I have no way of knowing which is correct (she understandably declined to tell me how old she was, back in December, 1973, when she wrote to me).
¿Dónde estará mi niño? (1981)
Spain's Impending, "Ominous" Debut of Divorce
This movie actually came out in 1981; not 1980. That was the year which was touted "The Year of Divorce" in Spain. Up to that point, divorce was not legal in this country. There was a lot of talk that it would be allowed by year's end (or by the next year). Naturally there were at least some Spaniards who were opposed to this landmark change. In ¿DÓNDE ESTARÁ MI NIÑO? (WHERE CAN MY SON BE?), I could hear these critics of divorce loud and clear.
Interestingly enough, I did not get much encouragement from other Spaniards about seeing this movie. I was an American exchange student at the University of Sevilla, Spain at the time. I was told by some college students that the star of this movie---Manolo Escobar------was a "has-been" singer, who was being given a second chance with this movie. The students also told me that the movie itself was quite "bad".
Be that as it may, I liked this movie a great deal! I overlooked their discouraging words because I knew that comic actor Antonio Garisa was in the cast. I loved him in HIJOS DE PAPÁ, another comedy which came out this same year. He did not disappoint me in ¿DÓNDE ESTARÁ MI NIÑO? either. I liked Antonio Garisa so much, that during my Easter break at the University, I made a trip to Madrid and saw Garisa perform live in a play: LA CASA DESHABITADA. By that time I was hooked, as a Garisa fan.
To give you a little background about this movie. It is described at this web site as a Comedy/Musical. I would say that it is a comedy with a few songs done by Manolo Escobar. I would then go one step further, and say that it is actually a comedy/drama.
Escobar's character is a man (also a professional singer) who has remained in touch with one of his ex-lovers who works in a retail store. He has befriended her son, who is less than ten years old. He and his ex-lover's son actually do a few things together (similar to what many American men do, when they volunteer for the Big Brothers organization.). He is totally unaware, however, that this young boy is HIS SON. The boy's mother does not tell Escobar's character this, because she is convinced that he does not love her (and she does not want him to feel "tied down", if he indeed has no feelings for her). Though generally a good man, we do see one scene where he reduces his ex-lover to tears via an insensitive remark (in all fairness, he probably would not have made that remark had he known that he was the father of her child).
Eventually it becomes too much of a burden for this woman to keep her secret entirely to herself. Though she does not tell Escobar the truth, in a weak moment she tells an older couple (friends or relatives of Escobar's character) that he is the boy's father (Antonio Garisa plays the husband of this older couple). Escobar has actually brought the boy into this older couple's home, several times. They have fed the boy, entertained him and looked after him. Garisa's character has even told the young boy:
"Llámame papá!!" ("Call me father"-----though grandfather would be more appropriate, given his and his wife's age).
The boy is a natural actor and delivers his lines so well; especially in scenes where he gets a bit smart with the wife from the older couple (played by Rafaela Aparicio, an extremely famous Spanish actress from screen, stage, radio and vaudeville; she appeared in 100 movies, in a career that spanned 60 years). When he gets fed up with her insistence that he take numerous baths, while in her home, he tells her:
"¡¡Pero es que soy moreno!!" ("But I'm telling you!.........I'm brown!!"----and we're not talking "Hispanic" brown here; this kid is not particularly dark).
Once Antonio Garisa's character is aware that the young boy is Escobar's son, he decides to take the bull by the horns and test the unsuspecting father. He tells Escobar that he is coming out of the closet as someone who had a son out of wedlock, and totally abandoned him (none of this is true, as he is just testing him). Escobar then angrily and piously gives Garisa a dressing down about how terrible he has been. Garisa, in mock shame, just goes along with this, and sheepishly pretends to be repentant. He surprises Escobar, however, when he tells him:
"You're wrong about the age that you guessed my son to be; he's younger than thirty or forty"
"Well twenty years old then?!?", Escobar asks.
"No; younger than that!"
By now Escobar is nearly shocked because Garisa is in his sixties. Garisa finally gives the boy's age as the same age as Escobar's son.
Later on, when the time is right, Garisa turns the tables and confronts Escobar that he has unwittingly been guilty of the exact same thing that he (Escobar) accused him of. He refers to the night when the young boy was conceived as "¡aquella noche loca!" (that crazy night!). He is also pounding a shot gun, on the floor, repeatedly, as he angrily and hilariously puts Escobar in his place. Garisa's character thinks the gun is empty. He is shocked however (and he shocks the whole house), when the gun goes off and blows a bullet through the ceiling! Rafaela Aparicio's character (his wife), hilariously runs downstairs, unhinged, unglued and SCREAMING after hearing the shot! (no one is hurt, of course)
Without totally giving away the movie, the film's only weakness is that it greatly oversimplifies the obstacles, that Escobar and his ex-lover have to overcome, once he learns that the boy is his son.........but I loved it anyway. I think we have all enjoyed movies which sugar coat reality.
Hijos de papá (1980)
A Gringo's Guide To Hijos de papa'
This movie starts out with a very energetic and pulsating early 80s song, performed by three or four punk rockers. The name of the song is the title of the movie: HIJOS DE PAPÁ (Pappa's Children or Dad's Children). It wasn't a bad song, at all, for 1980. Even by today's standards it's a pretty good rock tune. This hip, very modern opening is very deliberately placed immediately before a flashback to early 1940s Madrid. The contrast of this abrupt shift is even more dramatic by switching to black and white. This black and white portion is a relatively sizable part of the entire film.
You will find some parallelisms in HIJOS DE PAPÁ. There are two "Pappas". One is the literal father in this story (Fabián) and the other is the "national father", Generalíssimo Francisco Franco, whom Fabián symbolizes. As the story begins, we see Fabián as a young man in his early 20s, still living at home with his parents. His mother, a very spirited and emotional woman, is very strict and rigid in her son's upbringing (kind of in the same manner that Franco led Spain for four decades). We see her chiding Fabián for not being dressed, and ready to go observe Holy Week with her (which corresponds with the Easter holiday).
Later on, when the story fast forwards to 1978, we see a completely different situation between Fabián and his own son. Fabián is sitting in his arm chair reading a book. Once again it is Holy Week. His good-looking, skinny, twenty-ish son (who is sporting a conspicuous perm) bursts in and exclaims:
"Hey Old Man!!"
"Do you know what time it is?", Fabián sternly asks. He does not even bother to raise his eyes from his book, as he asks this.
"Forget about that!", his son says flippantly.
"3:30 A.M.!!", the father says. By now he has abruptly taken off his glasses, put his book aside, and given his son his full attention.
After a few argumentative exchanges, Fabián says:
"You're out this late during Holy Week?!?"
"A sissy holiday!!", his son calmly answers.
The conversation ends with the son telling his Dad that he's not about to revamp his whole life because of Holy Week. He then leaves the room, almost scornfully telling Fabián:
"Chau (Chow)!!" (Just as in Italian, this means good-bye)
Another great part, from the 1940s portion of the film, shows Fabián falling in love with a showgirl (Alicia) and the romance that ensues. One day they are walking through Madrid's beautiful Parque de Retiro. Caught up in the emotions of their love for each other, they begin french kissing as they walk. Along comes a middle-aged to older woman, with a pack of school children. When she sees the young couple frenching, she is shocked; she quickly herds the children off, like a flock of scared little sheep. She immediately calls Fabián's mother and tells her what a "sinvergüenza" (a shameful display) that whole spectacle was. Fabián comes home, very cheerful and expecting that nothing is awry. He goes to kiss his mother, as he always does, and she snaps:
"Not at me!!"
Fabián then gets raked over the coals, BIG TIME, by Mom. He is upset enough that he does not go to see his showgirl/girlfriend perform that night (he made it to most of her performances). We see Alicia looking rather puzzled (and sad) that Fabián's normal seat is empty.
Still another interesting scene from the 40s, is when General Franco addresses a huge crowd of cheering Spaniards. We see Fabián's mother in the crowd. She is nearly crying from her love and loyalty toward her leader. This film was made in 1980, just five years after Franco had died (and Spain had passed from a military dictatorship to a democracy). There was a lot of malaise and grumbling, among the Spaniards of the early 80s, about how bad things were (or how tough things were), since they were no longer led by an IRON FIST (and were free to make their own mistakes). I could not believe the reaction of the audience, when Franco appeared on screen! Incredibly, quite a few of them jumped to their feet, gleefully shouted and applauded loudly (I saw this movie in a theater in Sevilla, Spain, when I was an exchange student there)!
The acting is really wonderful in this film (and there are tons of laughs)! One extremely talented and hilarious actor from this movie (you could say, very "loosely", that he's a "Spanish Rodney Dangerfield") is Antonio Garisa. He died 9 years after making this film. Even if you do not understand Spanish, this film promises to be HIGHLY ENTERTAINING. It also has the flavor of being not just a Spanish film, but a very EUROPEAN film. I won't spoil that particular surprise for you. Hopefully it is not totally impossible to find a copy of this great movie.
The gist of HIJOS DE PAPÁ can be summed up in a poster, that I saw outside the theater where it played. There was a drawing of Generalíssimo Franco, with a quote from him, FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE:
"¡Ya estáis sólos!...........¿Y qué?!?" (OK; you're alone now!........And so what?!?)
Another way to translate that would be:
"OK, you're on your own now!! And what do you have to show for it?!?"
This marvelous film was based on a novel by Fernando Vizcaíno Casas
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Mockingbird's 40th Year!!
This movie is definitely near the very top of my all-time favorite films! Quite a few of my friends have not seen "To Kill a Mockingbird". I have been surprised at how many of them have responded:
"Oh, ' To Kill a Mockingbird '.............I saw the remake with Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock!: ' A Time To Kill' ".
Though I actually loved that 1996 flick with McConaughey and Bullock, I still feel that it's a bit of an insult to suggest that "A Time To Kill" is the same movie as "To Kill a Mockingbird" (or that it even approximates the older story). There are totally different characters, with totally different personalities in "Mockingbird". The story is similar only in a few superficial ways. One clearly comes away with a truly unique flavor in "Mockingbird"; "A Time To Kill" cannot really hold a candle to this Gregory Peck masterpiece (Peck himself has said that this was his favorite film-----and that being offered this role was the luckiest day of his life).
I am glad that, though this movie came out in 1962, they chose to shoot it in black and white. A completely different mood comes out, by presenting this movie in those softer, darker colors. "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" also came out in 1962; it was a black and white movie as well. I recall reading that Bette Davis talked to that film's producer, and threw her support behind the idea of filming that story without color (again to create a darker mood).
Actually, there are at least three things that a black and white "Mockingbird" does. One: it complements the serious and tragic tone of the story. Two: it complements some of the childhood memories which are rather spooky and akin to a horror movie. Three: This is, after all, 1932 Macon, Georgia. The black and white colors do kind of take us back to a world which no longer exists (and a world which was right in the middle of the Great Crash/Depression). Many people who were adults, then (or were children having to pitch in during this national crisis), developed a completely different mindset; a mindset that so many of us will never know (of course the Depression aspect is greatly overshadowed, in this film, by the theme of a Black man accused of impropriety with a White woman in the early 30s Deep South).
It is hard to know where to begin, with a movie of this great caliber. I will just throw some of my thoughts out, and let the chips fall where they may. I thought that the theme song for "Mockingbird", which begins and ends the film, was truly an incredibly beautiful song. At the end of the film this music is like a song of TRIUMPH! It is also a very TOUCHING song. Elmer Bernstein, the composer of this music, said in a documentary that he was going for a kind of child-like tune-----one in which a child would just be playing around with a few keys on a piano. Mr. Bernstein certainly transformed that tune into a very sentimental piece, that kind of tugs at your heart strings.
The first time that I saw this movie, I was not paying complete attention, and I thought that one of Atticus Finch's (the lead character played by Gregory Peck) loved one's had died, on account of the unpopular stance that he took. I teared up, as the movie closed out with that powerful music (not realizing that "good" had almost completely overtaken "evil", here).
Of course I cannot comment on "Mockingbird" without alluding to Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch. What a wonderfully noble and good man! You could say, more specifically, that he was a wonderful father (especially raising two children as a widower, and a very busy attorney). Of all the moving and powerful interactions he had with his children, what impressed me most was how he reasoned with them as if they were little adults (rather than "children"). He never seemed to talk down to them. He tried to talk (and negotiate) with them, as close as he could, to one of his peers (a very interesting irony, since both his children called him "Atticus" and not Dad or Daddy!).
You couldn't help but respect Atticus for taking on such an unpopular case, during that Era (and in that part of the country). He even told his daughter:
"If I didn't take this case, I couldn't hold my head up in town! I couldn't even tell you and Jem, not to do something that was wrong!"
Atticus knew that someone had to take this case and he accepted it. He also truly believed that his client was innocent (Tom Robinson, a strong, young Black man, accused of raping a White, Southern Belle). His performance in the court room (including his closing statement) was stellar! It was riveting to hear that powerful, dramatic Peck voice, as he went to bat for his client!
Near the end of the film, one of Atticus' neighbors said to his young son, Jem:
"Jem, there are some men who are born to do our unpleasant tasks........Your father is one of them."
In a small way Atticus Finch seemed to symbolize Christ, when I considered this. Though he did not actually lose his life, doing what was right came at an extremely heavy cost to himself and his family.
There is a whole lot more to this movie, than just the proverbial racial strife between African-Americans and Whites. I encourage anyone who feels this way to give this film a chance. Hopefully it will speak to you (and more importantly, MOVE YOU), as it did me.
The Joy Luck Club (1993)
Double-Edged Sword
There are quite a few themes in this movie. One that springs to mind for me, right away, is that of a generation gap AND a cultural gap. This is a story about Chinese-American girls, growing up in America, raised by women who came of age in Mainland China, decades earlier. One interesting thought: most of these Chinese mothers came to America, wishing to fight like a tiger for their daughters...........wishing that they could give their daughters a much better life (and a MUCH LESS PAINFUL life) than they had. Unfortunately most of their daughters interpreted their tenacious desire to fight for them (and push them to excellence) as a lack of love: hence the "double-edged sword" of "giving their all" for their daughters.
I am all too keenly aware that this is what most people would call a "chick flick". Nevertheless, as a man, I loved it. I enjoyed how the stories of the mother's and daughter's childhoods (and their younger years in general) were interwoven throughout the movie like a Chinese tapestry or quilt. Moving in and out of the American and Chinese cultures made this even more interesting to watch. Every tale, that each Chinese mother narrated, was like a work of art: a work of art complete with flutes, violins and various types of Chinese instruments in the background. Their tales were also frequently accompanied by breathtaking views of snowcapped mountains and the wide, open Chinese countryside (so very similar to what we have seen on sheets of rice paper or on porcelain plates).
There was also a lot of powerful energy in this film. Not all of it was the negative energy of deep conflicts and emotional strife between mother and daughter. Much of it was quite positive and invigorating: the energy that filled the room of these daughters and mothers when they got together to CELEBRATE LIFE at an "extended family" party...........The very moving and touching energy, that surged forth, when mother and daughter often came together, after years and decades of conflict..........and realized that they were on each other's team..........The tears of joy that often sprang forth, when a given daughter realized, for the first time, that her mother was not disappointed in her..........and that her own happiness was PARAMOUNT, in her mother's heart.
In a small way, it did bother me that every single one of the Chinese mothers came from a dysfunctional family (and/or background). I do realize, however, that the overall story would not have been anywhere near as "riveting", had each daughter not had a mother who had to fight and claw her way to survival (and to sanity!). I will say that, of all the mothers, Tsai Chin's Lindo Jon character was perhaps the most unforgivable role model for maternity. Most of my friends, who have seen this movie, agree that she was almost HATEFUL in her attitude toward her daughter! However, this part of the movie did help make the overall plot very interesting (and deeply charged with emotion!).
A few closing comments: as a former student of Chinese History I really enjoyed seeing some of the common Chinese familial traits played out in this movie: respect for elders, honoring one's ancestors and being an obedient child. Finally, I must compliment the casting director of The Joy Luck Club: you selected some of the prettiest little girls to play the mothers and daughters in their earliest years.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Mockingbird's 40th Year!!
This movie is definitely near the very top of my all-time favorite films! Quite a few of my friends have not seen "To Kill a Mockingbird". I have been surprised at how many of them have responded:
"Oh, ' To Kill a Mockingbird '.............I saw the remake with Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock!: ' A Time To Kill' ".
Though I actually loved that 1996 flick with McConaughey and Bullock, I still feel that it's a bit of an insult to suggest that "A Time To Kill" is the same movie as "To Kill a Mockingbird" (or that it even approximates the older story). There are totally different characters, with totally different personalities in "Mockingbird". The story is similar only in a few superficial ways. One clearly comes away with a truly unique flavor in "Mockingbird"; "A Time To Kill" cannot really hold a candle to this Gregory Peck masterpiece (Peck himself has said that this was his favorite film-----and that being offered this role was the luckiest day of his life).
I am glad that, though this movie came out in 1962, they chose to shoot it in black and white. A completely different mood comes out, by presenting this movie in those softer, darker colors. "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" also came out in 1962; it was a black and white movie as well. I recall reading that Bette Davis talked to that film's producer, and threw her support behind the idea of filming that story without color (again to create a darker mood).
Actually, there are at least three things that a black and white "Mockingbird" does. One: it complements the serious and tragic tone of the story. Two: it complements some of the childhood memories which are rather spooky and akin to a horror movie. Three: This is, after all, 1932 Macon, Georgia. The black and white colors do kind of take us back to a world which no longer exists (and a world which was right in the middle of the Great Crash/Depression). Many people who were adults, then (or were children having to pitch in during this national crisis), developed a completely different mindset; a mindset that so many of us will never know (of course the Depression aspect is greatly overshadowed, in this film, by the theme of a Black man accused of impropriety with a White woman in the early 30s Deep South).
It is hard to know where to begin, with a movie of this great caliber. I will just throw some of my thoughts out, and let the chips fall where they may. I thought that the theme song for "Mockingbird", which begins and ends the film, was truly an incredibly beautiful song. At the end of the film this music is like a song of TRIUMPH! It is also a very TOUCHING song. Elmer Bernstein, the composer of this music, said in a documentary that he was going for a kind of child-like tune-----one in which a child would just be playing around with a few keys on a piano. Mr. Bernstein certainly transformed that tune into a very sentimental piece, that kind of tugs at your heart strings.
The first time that I saw this movie, I was not paying complete attention, and I thought that one of Atticus Finch's (the lead character played by Gregory Peck) loved one's had died, on account of the unpopular stance that he took. I teared up, as the movie closed out with that powerful music (not realizing that "good" had almost completely overtaken "evil", here).
Of course I cannot comment on "Mockingbird" without alluding to Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch. What a wonderfully noble and good man! You could say, more specifically, that he was a wonderful father (especially raising two children as a widower, and a very busy attorney). Of all the moving and powerful interactions he had with his children, what impressed me most was how he reasoned with them as if they were little adults (rather than "children"). He never seemed to talk down to them. He tried to talk (and negotiate) with them, as close as he could, to one of his peers (a very interesting irony, since both his children called him "Atticus" and not Dad or Daddy!).
You couldn't help but respect Atticus for taking on such an unpopular case, during that Era (and in that part of the country). He even told his daughter:
"If I didn't take this case, I couldn't hold my head up in town! I couldn't even tell you and Jem, not to do something that was wrong!"
Atticus knew that someone had to take this case and he accepted it. He also truly believed that his client was innocent (Tom Robinson, a strong, young Black man, accused of raping a White, Southern Belle). His performance in the court room (including his closing statement) was stellar! It was riveting to hear that powerful, dramatic Peck voice, as he went to bat for his client!
Near the end of the film, one of Atticus' neighbors said to his young son, Jem:
"Jem, there are some men who are born to do our unpleasant tasks........Your father is one of them."
In a small way Atticus Finch seemed to symbolize Christ, when I considered this. Though he did not actually lose his life, doing what was right came at an extremely heavy cost to himself and his family.
There is a whole lot more to this movie, than just the proverbial racial strife between African-Americans and Whites. I encourage anyone who feels this way to give this film a chance. Hopefully it will speak to you (and more importantly, MOVE YOU), as it did me.
French Postcards (1979)
So Near & Dear To My Heart
I would not give this film a lukewarm review at all (as some of the other reviews that I have read seem to have done). I would not try to put it in a box that it does not belong in, either. The truth of the matter is, I LOVED "French Postcards" exactly the way it was!! This was a highly entertaining and WONDERFUL story! I felt really good after watching it..........I watched it twice. In short, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I felt that a lot of the main characters were very well drawn and believable. The acting was, by and large, superb! My favorite story within this story would have to be the one with Alex (the blond-haired American student and pianist) and Madame Tessier (the French director of the institute, where the American exchange students were enrolled). I especially like the very beautiful and adorable Mme. Tessier, played by Marie-France Pisier. It wasn't just that she was totally gorgeous as a "somewhat older woman" (Alex was a junior in college; Mme. Tessier was probably in her mid 30s). It was very admirable how passionate she was about her study abroad program. She appeared to be extremely devoted to her job.........and very professional. Toward the end of the movie she talked about her plan to open up schools all over France........and she was very excited about it.
I also liked that scene when she and Alex's girlfriend got into a cat fight over whose man Alex really was..........but even then, she still carried that off with a lot of class. She did not scream or make a scene. She seemed to hold her own, toe to toe, with Alex's old girlfriend with dignity. Among other things, she told her (in a very relaxed voice):
"You are a twenty-year-old school girl..........You don't know anything about love!"
If you have not yet seen the movie, you should know that Mme. Tessier certainly made Alex pay his dues! He worked extremely hard to earn the right to show his affections for her. She was really quite cold, in the beginning, and did try to dissuade him...........even lied to him that she did not like a piano song that he wrote for her (about Paris). Eventually she took the bait (and probably amazed Alex in the process). The story does paint Mme. Tessier as a very dedicated and serious, professional, French woman: a woman, who one day just had a weakness and caved............and allowed herself to become vulnerable in the arms, and in the heart, of a twenty-something American "stud". Though for many people it might be disturbing, that her involvement with him is adulterous (her husband is her business partner at the institute), in many ways it is a very sweet romance. There are actually quite a few things that are sweet (or delightful) about this movie (including a shot of the beautiful Seine river at sunset).
I saw this movie on HBO in December 1980------just weeks before I was slated to go off to Spain as an American college student (I spent my spring semester in Sevilla, Spain). Though this movie was about a very different country, it was still about a European country. It was extremely exciting for me to watch two hours of anecdotes, concerning experiences that I was very soon to be having (at least some of them, anyway; I did not try to steal away a program director's wife!)! Watching this film was even more delightful for me, since this was to be my first trip to Europe!
I am sure that I would have enjoyed this movie, almost as much, even if I had not studied abroad. On a personal note, I never made it to France, during my stay in Spain. It would be 17+ years later, before I trod on many of the same grounds that Alex, Joel, and Melanie trod (in "French Postcards"). I am pleased to say that my 1998 trip to France was everything that I thought it would be! The people were totally wonderful and delightful..........and I just loved them! More importantly, I loved France (just as I loved Mme. Tessier and "French Postcards", as a whole)!
Coquette (1929)
The Priceless Vignette of "Coquette"
I think it is profoundly tragic how very destructive and negative a lot of the reviews have been (on this IMDb site) about Coquette......A truly wonderful vignette, and slice of life, of American life in the late 20s.
It is truly unfair to compare Coquette to the standards of 21st Century Cinema. There is a lot that can be said for enjoying a film simply from a historical perspective. There are so many, many historical nuggets, and vignettes, which can be extracted from this film. I am not speaking just from a cultural or societal level; I am also speaking
specifically from a cinematic level.
We do have to appreciate, as another reviewer pointed out, where Hollywood was coming from, when this film was produced. And we have to give credit to the first brave souls who endeavored to participate in an "early Talkie". These folks (especially the actors, many of whom spoke, for the very first time)were indeed pioneers!
We also have to acknowledge the fact that Mary Pickford won an academy award for her work here. As much as some of the other reviewers said that she was AWFUL, and should have stuck with "Silents", I think it speaks for itself that her peers gave this coveted award to her. This probably also suggests that many movie-goers, from the late 20s, probably loved her, and this picture (even if THEY could see, back then, that it was not perfect).
As difficult as it was for me, to put myself in the shoes of a 1929 audience, I think that I successfully managed to do this, while I watched it. I was born 30 years after this film came out, so it was a task to put myself into the head of a man who had been raised on a steady diet of Silent Movies.
It was so exciting, watching Mary speak, knowing that she had been a HUGE STAR, for YEARS, in Silents, and finally the world was confronted with the total package of Mary Pickford-----her movements, her persona and her voice. That, in itself, was probably enough to absolutely THRILL audiences, who had loved her before she spoke. It must have been truly fascinating to hear what their heroine's voice sounded like, after all those years.
A few general comments about the cast:
John St. Polis (who played her father):
What a terrific actor! What a great voice! He undoubtedly had been on stage and had learned his craft so very well. I loved him in the court room scene when, as the dignified, noble father, he took his lumps for his mistakes (and was a part of that huge, climactic surprise, that took place in that room). He died, 17 years later, at the age of 70.
William Janney (her brother, Jimmy):
Now I will give credit, where credit is due. He was terrible, absolutely terrible, for almost all of the movie. He overacted in the most cartoonish, nauseating manner. Perhaps some of his later work was better. He died 63 years later, at the age of 84.
Mary Pickford:
Though she began her performance, weak, and could be accused of overacting, she got better and better, as the film wore on. By the time we reached the part, where she embraced her lover, in the woods, and told him how much she missed him, and loved him, she was giving a command performance; no question about it! She was helped by some really great dialogue, from the writers. There were quite a few other scenes, where her performance was just sterling!! She died, in the late 70s, at the age of 87.
I could go on, and on, with the cast. I truly loved this film, for what it was worth. I thought the story, and the twist ending was incredibly and wonderfully masterful! I agree with another reviewer who said that the ending was just lovely, and beautiful (it shows Mary's character walking down the town square, with round-shaped light bulbs, from the buildings and stores, slowly lighting up, and glowing, one by one, by one). The picture then fades to its conclusion, with soothing, peaceful music, accompanying it.
Can't Buy Me Love (1987)
Delightfully Entertaining!!
I saw this movie at least 3-4 times. I loved how well-rounded a lot of the characters were (at least in MY OPINION, many of them were). Amanda Peterson was a fantastic actress (even better than her male co-star, Patrick Dempsey). It's a shame that I have not seen nearly as much, of her, as I have of Patrick, over the last 14 years.
This was a real "feel-good", "pick-me-up" movie, as far as I was concerned. How I was "cheering Ronald Miller's character on", when "dating" Cindy Mancini, cheerleader queen, actually DID make him popular.......after all those years of being the GEEK and the LAWN BOY........in his senior year, no less........What a way to go out!! She even told him that hanging out with her was not going to make him
popular, but she was wrong.......all so wrong.
I also liked the way that Ronald's mother, who apparently was not used to her son dating, was truly touched and beaming with joy, when she saw her son and Cindy leaving their home on a date. She seemed so incredibly proud, as she watched her son go off, with probably the only girlfriend, that he ever had in all those years of school.
Now I know that their dating relationship was all a farce.......But then I loved watching her slowly fall in love with him, for the REAL person that he was (and not because he was or was not popular). It's a shame that he was not smart enough to pick up on the fact the farce became the real thing. I'll never forget their date, with the telescope, the airplane graveyard and their truly REAL MOMENTS, in the car, that night, when the walls between the IN kids and the OUTCASTES crumbled completely.
Last, but not least, I loved watching one of the other girls, whom Ronald dated, after he broke up with Cindy (and this, of course, was no longer a farce). Too bad I can't remember the character's name (it's been 14 years). She was the second girl whom he dated, after Cindy, however.......and she was the one who gave him his first chance, is his entire 17 years, to (how shall I say this delicately?......) appreciate her bulges!! (then he actually HILARIOUSLY did the math, WITHOUT A CALCULATOR, NO LESS, to figure out how many days, he had lived, without that experience!.......17-odd years X 365)!!
Well, whoever she was, let me say, facetiously (and also seriously), she was HOT, truly beautiful and cute!!!.......even cuter than Amanda Peterson's Cindy Mancini.......and I wish that she had been the female star of that movie!!
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000)
This Arrow Definitely Missed the Bull's Eye
I'm sorry, but this movie totally missed the mark for me. I really wish that I could be writing a glowing review....... especially after all the fanfare and positive publicity, which preceded the debut of this movie.
As a big fan, of this animated series, I do feel that this film really betrayed the spirit of the original producers, Jay Ward and Bill Scott. To do this type of film should have only been done if the finished product was to be a true and genuine TRIBUTE to this great show.
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle was brutally self-deprecating to the point of being DESTRUCTIVE. The lines of this film continuously reminded the audience of what a bad series this was......how terrible the dialogue used to be, and that nothing had changed since 1964.....(Hello?!?......was this really true.....how could the series have ever lasted five years if it was THAT BAD?!?).
Being totally objective, I can recall, as an adult, watching some episodes, in which I groaned out loud, but in all fairness, the majority of the time I found it delightful and ingeniously done!! I can forgive a few bad shows, here and there, for a TRUE CLASSIC like this.
Phyllis Diller's self-deprecating humor was endearing and incredibly funny. This movie's style of such humor was a terrible injustice and an abominable tribute! What this destructive bent did was to make many of us, in the audience, feel like we were CHUMPS for being there!! I think that a lot of us could have forgiven the script, or been a little more conservative in our criticism, had the film not constantly reminded us how bad the movie was.
I did not feel so badly, for myself, sitting through this movie, but I was accompanied by two young ladies, around my age (all of us being single, for the record) who had agreed to see this film because I wanted to see it. When I saw how much they were not enjoying it, I just could not wait for the movie to end! I think I suffered through the film, more than they, since it had been my idea, and I felt guilty about it.
Finally I will say that I really had had high hopes for this movie since I had chosen to forgo seeing several other recent adaptations of Jay Ward's shows (Boris and Natasha, Dudley Do- Right and George of the Jungle). I had skipped all of those films because there was no animation, included, at all. I had even gone to this movie, after having read some lukewarm to bad reviews.....I guess you could say that I was hoping against hopelessness......
The Dudley Do-Right Show (1969)
The 88 Keys that Made Dudley Famous
I don't really remember Dudley Do-Right as a show in itself. I only recall this show as part of the Rocky & Bullwinkle series. In any case, I came to really appreciate this show when I was older.
I do think that it was REALLY neat the way the Dudley Do-Right show seemed to have "vestiges" of the Silent Movie Era, despite the fact that it was a "talkie". Every now and then, they would pull up a frame, with a caption, describing what was going on in the scene (with a decorative background).
Another great touch, along those lines, was the piano, that played in the background, during the entire episode. The pianist, with his/her tunes, so often evoked a "Gay Nineties" or "vaudeville" aura, so germane to the Silent Movie genre. I often found myself picturing the live pianists (or organists) who used to play, for audiences, in those old movie houses, dating back to the tens, the teens and the twenties, while I watched Dudley Do-Right!
I often wondered where Dudley Do-Right's voice came from. I always assumed that the actor, who read his lines, stole it, from someone who was famous (or from a character in radio or the movies who was popular). I am glad that that voice was used, however. Do-Right just would not be Do-Right without that manner of speaking!
It was neat that we got to hear that same voice again, just a few years later, when that same actor used it for Tom Slick (from George of the Jungle)......and Dudley's girlfriend, Nell, also reprised her voice (as that actress also breathed life into Tom Slick's girlfriend, Marigold).
Of all the shows, from Rocky & Bullwinkle, this show was the one in which music held the greatest importance. I especially like the show's "signature sign-off" via piano.
Nearly always, the piano keys would build to a crescendo of a few high notes, when the story was ending. Those few high notes would just kind of flutter there, in place, for a few moments. Then, abruptly, the final five LOW notes would usher in: Dun, Dun, Dun, Dun, DUNN!.........that would signal the close of the episode......Gosh, I nearly feel a chill running right through me, as I recall these last five notes now!.......It's like I'm ten years old, all over again!
George of the Jungle (1967)
Three Shows For the Price of One!
Super Chicken was so WICKEDLY funny.....even HILARIOUS....the way it took all those super heroes, like Superman, Aquaman, etc., and brought them DOWN.....quite a few notches!!.....and completely destroyed their dignity. It was equally hilarious to see that puny, masked chicken, with an assistant side-kick, who was ten times bigger than he......that huge, goofy, lion, Fred, who talked just like Ed Wynne from MARY POPPINS (Fred Wynne sang that song, I LOVE TO LAUGH, in that movie).
Tom Slick was about a lot more than just a race car star. There was a whole assortment of villains, and even monsters, whom he raced against (or was confronted with)......vampires, sea monsters......you name it!.......whatever you would least expect could be in a story, about Tom Slick, they were there!!
George of the Jungle, though the starring show of the series, was not my very favorite of the three shows, but, so much of America loves George, (as evidenced by the release of that movie, just a few years ago), that pay me no mind, with that comment.
I will say that the concept of "taking on" Tarzan, like that, was incredibly creative and innovative, in a cartoon. I also truly loved the theme song, and all the footage that accompanied it (including the real life car, that explodes into flames!). I must say that it was a happy day, for me, when I discovered this late 60s show!
Hoppity Hooper (1964)
Fun Show, for what it was worth!!
I really liked this series! It's really a shame that they made only one season of episodes. Never mind about what it says, that the show ran 1964 to 1967; only one year of those three years included NEW episodes.
Had they made two or three years of episodes, probably a lot more people would remember this show today. I, also, probably would have enjoyed watching the re-runs much more if there had been in excess of 25+ shows to choose from.
This was a nice lunchtime companion, for me, in the summers when school was out. The frog, the bear and the wolf (or whatever kind of furry character Uncle Waldo was) were cute and also very funny.
Uncle Waldo, voiced by the late, great Hans Conried (who also did Snidely Whiplash on Dudley Do-Right) was actually more than just cute. He was so much like that elderly great-uncle or grandfather, that everyone has.
I also liked Paul Frees as the narrator. Though never really famous, on-camera (he was a priest in A PLACE IN THE SUN--1951-- and a psychiatrist in Disney's THE SHAGGY DOG), I read up on him, over the internet, and learned that his nickname was "THE MAN OF A THOUSAND VOICES".
The bouncy, energetic theme song, was kind of neat, too, because you could see that it was deliberately designed that way to conjure up the image of its star, Hoppity Hooper, in action.
Maybe someday someone will revive this great cartoon series and create brand new episodes! I would much rather see that than a single two-hour movie (I have never thought that those cinematic endeavors ever do an original cartoon series justice).
Hopefully this cartoon, from the Golden Age era of animation, is not so outdated, by today's standards, that it could not be picked up, by some genius, to entertain the future children of America (and some adults too) with all new adventures (hopefully in the same episodic format)!!
Rocky and His Friends (1959)
Great Reminiscences
I guess like most fans of Rocky and Bullwinkle, these days, I saw the majority of these shows in re-runs......Though I think that I did catch some of the latter shows, when they aired for the very first time, at the very tail end of the series (I was nearly 5 years old, when the series was canceled in 1964).
Probably my favorite part of this vintage cartoon series was the episodes of Rock & Bullwinkle.......and also the Fractured Fairytales. Sometimes I think that I liked the Fractured Fairytales even better than the episodes of R & B.
Jay Ward was very clever, however, to have so many different "side shows", if you will, on the program. I pretty much liked all of them (Peabody, Dudley Do-Right too). My least favorite of "Rocky's friends" was Aesop's Fables---but even that had some redeeming qualities.
Though I always loved the show, I think that I first REALLY became interested in it when my Great-Aunt Esther admitted to having met and known Edward Everett Horton, who used to narrate the Fractured Fairytales on the series. She met him when the two of them lived in the New York City area, when he was doing "winter stock". Supposedly Mr. Horton was born around 1886 and my great-aunt was born in 1895.
I had always loved his wonderful, grandfatherly voice, which was just so perfect for conjuring up the images of those priceless and precious fairytales (albeit "fractured" fairytales). I think that Edward Everett Horton truly lent a genuine modicum of CLASS and DELIGHT to those cartoons, by being the one to tell the story.
I started trying to tape all of the fractured fairytales, since my great-aunt and he had been acquaintances and since I liked him very much. I was not successful in getting too many of them on tape.
In the process of taping these tales I gained an even keener appreciation for the other voice-over actors, that Jay Ward used. Jay Ward was really quite loyal to these people----He generally only used four people, on all of his cartoons, over and over again-----but these folks were really all that he needed because they were truly THE BEST!!
I came to love the characterizations of June Foray (who did almost all of the female voices on all of Ward's cartoons---and some of the male ones---like Rocky and young boys), Daws Butler (in Rocky and Bullwinkle he was mostly used for the Fractured Fairytales, but he was a lot more active in the George of the Jungle series----including the Tom Slick and Super Chicken episodes), Paul Frees (Boris Badenov, Captain Peachfuzz, Fred the Lion in Super Chicken and the Narrator in many of Ward's cartoons)and Bill Scott (Bill usually did the starring roles in all of Ward's cartoons-----perhaps the fact that he was a co-producer, with Jay Ward, had something to do with that----he was Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, Peabody, George of the Jungle, Tom Slick, Super Chicken, etc., etc.).
As much as I loved listening to Edward Everett Horton's voice, I think that the rich talent, of all of these other voice-over artists, far outshined Mr. Horton (who was just a narrator).
Since my great-aunt had known him, I had hoped to write to him, but I was too late. He died in the Fall of 1970 and I began trying to write to him in 1971 or 1972. It was a rude awakening when I learned that he was already dead for some time.
I did, however, manage to find, write to and exchange letters with all four of my above "heros": June Foray, Daws Butler, Paul Frees and Bill Scott. June and Daws were the most fascinating of these people.
Sadly, except for Ms. Foray, they are all dead. On September 18th, June Foray will be 83, 81 or 75, depending on which year of birth is correct for her......I have seen dates of 1917, 1919 and 1925, given for her, and I have no way of knowing which is correct (she understandably declined to tell me how old she was, back in December, 1973, when she wrote to me).
Rocky and His Friends (1959)
Great Reminiscences
I guess like most fans of Rocky and Bullwinkle, these days, I saw the majority of these shows in re-runs......Though I think that I did catch some of the latter shows, when they aired for the very first time, at the very tail end of the series (I was nearly 5 years old, when the series was canceled in 1964).
Probably my favorite part of this vintage cartoon series was the episodes of Rock & Bullwinkle.......and also the Fractured Fairytales. Sometimes I think that I liked the Fractured Fairytales even better than the episodes of R & B.
Jay Ward was very clever, however, to have so many different "side shows", if you will, on the program. I pretty much liked all of them (Peabody, Dudley Do-Right too). My least favorite of "Rocky's friends" was Aesop's Fables---but even that had some redeeming qualities.
Though I always loved the show, I think that I first REALLY became interested in it when my Great-Aunt Esther admitted to having met and known Edward Everett Horton, who used to narrate the Fractured Fairytales on the series. She met him when the two of them lived in the New York City area, when he was doing "winter stock". Supposedly Mr. Horton was born around 1886 and my great-aunt was born in 1895.
I had always loved his wonderful, grandfatherly voice, which was just so perfect for conjuring up the images of those priceless and precious fairytales (albeit "fractured" fairytales). I think that Edward Everett Horton truly lent a genuine modicum of CLASS and DELIGHT to those cartoons, by being the one to tell the story.
I started trying to tape all of the fractured fairytales, since my great-aunt and he had been acquaintances and since I liked him very much. I was not successful in getting too many of them on tape.
In the process of taping these tales I gained an even keener appreciation for the other voice-over actors, that Jay Ward used. Jay Ward was really quite loyal to these people----He generally only used four people, on all of his cartoons, over and over again-----but these folks were really all that he needed because they were truly THE BEST!!
I came to love the characterizations of June Foray (who did almost all of the female voices on all of Ward's cartoons---and some of the male ones---like Rocky and young boys), Daws Butler (in Rocky and Bullwinkle he was mostly used for the Fractured Fairytales, but he was a lot more active in the George of the Jungle series----including the Tom Slick and Super Chicken episodes), Paul Frees (Boris Badenov, Captain Peachfuzz, Fred the Lion in Super Chicken and the Narrator in many of Ward's cartoons)and Bill Scott (Bill usually did the starring roles in all of Ward's cartoons-----perhaps the fact that he was a co-producer, with Jay Ward, had something to do with that----he was Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, Peabody, George of the Jungle, Tom Slick, Super Chicken, etc., etc.).
As much as I loved listening to Edward Everett Horton's voice, I think that the rich talent, of all of these other voice-over artists, far outshined Mr. Horton (who was just a narrator).
Since my great-aunt had known him, I had hoped to write to him, but I was too late. He died in the Fall of 1970 and I began trying to write to him in 1971 or 1972. It was a rude awakening when I learned that he was already dead for some time.
I did, however, manage to find, write to and exchange letters with all four of my above "heros": June Foray, Daws Butler, Paul Frees and Bill Scott. June and Daws were the most fascinating of these people.
Sadly, except for Ms. Foray, they are all dead. On September 18th, June Foray will be 83, 81 or 75, depending on which year of birth is correct for her......I have seen dates of 1917, 1919 and 1925, given for her, and I have no way of knowing which is correct (she understandably declined to tell me how old she was, back in December, 1973, when she wrote to me).