04-01-2020, 09:37 PM
15722
Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)
Talking Pictures show mostly old British made films and there were quite a lot of them made during the 50’s and 60’s, in the cinema they were nearly always the “little picture” to back up the main feature, the film makers, usually Cohen and Levy, had the same old reliable collection of actors that we had become familiar with, Terence Morgan, Bill Owen, Jimmy Handley, Billy Whitelaw, Thora Hurd, Hazel court, Peggy Mount, and Irish actors, Cyril Cusack, Eddie Byrne, Dermot Morgan, Noel Purcell, and a couple of American lads, I can never remember their names, who probably settled in Britain after the war or were hounded out of Hollywood by the McCarthy committee.
Sam Wanamaker came to Britain in 1950 and stayed because, in his own words
“In 1950 I went to England to do a play, and around that time the whole McCarthy witch-hunting era had taken hold in Hollywood—so I just stayed in Britain... I knew that because I had worked with actors who had problems in Hollywood, I might have difficulties ”
His daughter Zoe Wanamaker plays “Mrs Oliver” to perfection in the Hercule Poirot series.
There were so many actors working in British films in the 50’s that it’s hard to recall them all. All good enjoyable films even to this day, well for me anyway.
I have only one complaint about these lovable films and that is the really terrible singers and songs they featured in the night club scenes, and there was always a night club scene in the murder and robbery stories, all the gang leaders seemed to own night clubs back then, it’s as if it was compulsory to include these ear scourging songs and singers that nobody ever heard before and never heard again, methinks they were all relations of Cohen and Levy being given their big break, I read that film producers are often pestered by talentless nieces and nephews to stick them into one of their productions and I’d well believe it, that probably explains how there are so many crappy young actors around today.
There is however one saloon song that I liked in an American film, it was on Spike TV only a few days ago, a western called “Flaming Feather”, 10 minutes into the film the lady singer sings a song about a jilted woman, the opening line goes “There’s no rings on her fingers, her rings are all under her eyes”, that made me laugh, I know it’s no laughing matter for the woman, but it’s so clever. It goes on “He met her on the ferry, the ferry, he said that they would marry, marry, then he went his merry way”
Some would call him a stinker of the first order, others might call it having your cake and eating it, so young ladies beware, never let a strange man kiss you on the ferry, or anywhere else, well not until you know where he lives anyway.
Sean Connery and Jill Ireland looking the life and soul of the party in “Hell Drivers” 1957. I think he improved greatly with age, he always looked awkward to me as a young man, nervous, not confident enough, then when he got the hang of it there was no stopping him.
05-01-2020, 12:32 PM
15725
Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)
You are right about mediochre film nightclub singers.....but lets be honest would you belt out a great song knowing full well there are shady characters with guns or knives who always lurk in darkened night clubs ready to steal your thunder with the odd gory murder or such that distracts your audience.....or maybe the singers just weren't paid enough to sing well.Looking through some old films for clips I found this one and how true it is..or was. They did push those what were risque boundaries as far as they dared in so many different ways. It may seem tame compared to today where little is left to the imagination but....oh that past imagining of what might happen next was so much healthier on the mind.
My Mother used to knowingly say "Nothing new there...we invented it years ago". You can imagine the look of horror on my face at the very thought of my Mother behaving anything less than a saint.
Being older and a tad wiser I can look back at my naivety and slighty cringe at my ignorant disdain of her words..
05-01-2020, 10:49 PM
15728
Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)
It seems they got away with a lot of flesh flashing and sexual innuendo in the pre code era Solo. I had to laugh at Walter Huston eyeing up that big muscular hunk in that video, tut tut Walter I never thought you were like that.
Barbara Stanwick got around in her younger days, she was a stripper at one time, an interesting life had she.
“Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in pictures in 1929 and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known as the "Hays Code", in mid-1934” Wiki.
Meanwhile back in real life.
I always cut me own hair and today was the day to do it again, I have all the gear for it, even a camera that shows one the back of one’s head, handy that. when the haircut was finished I went up to the bathroom to shower and I stripped off, I had turned the boiler on earlier, but when I stepped into the cubicle and turned on the water it was freezing so I jumped back out like a light.
I have this nice silk dressing gown I bought from China a few weeks ago, for the craic really, never wore it before so I thought I’d put it on and surprise the wife, it’s gold, white, and light brown in colour, lots of scrolls are featured and a big golden dragon on the back, the gown feels great on the skin, I also bought a few different coloured cravat type scarves to go around the neck, I was cursing the cold water as I put my new opened toed bamboo slippers on along with the fake diamond studded cravat and gown. I looked like the lord of the Manor as I came down the stairs to inquire about the boiler from the wife.
She had never seen me in this get up before, and as I walked into the kitchen she bursts out laughing.
“Jaysus would yeh have a look at Lord Muck!, the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo is only trottin after yeh”
I had a smoke inserted into a Noel Coward style cigarette holder as I asked in my poshest voice.
“What exactly is wrong with the boiler my dearest?”
“I forget to tell you it’s knackered and there’ll be a man here to fix it any minute now, and yeh better get outa that rig before he comes of he’ll think we’re rolling in money and charge us an arm and a leg”
Never happy are they, no matter how smart you try to look to please them, that’ll be the last time that gear will see the light of day.
Charles Deville Wells is credited as being the man who broke the Monte Carlo bank in 1892, good read if you wanted to look it up.
I never heard Frankie Laine singing this before.
06-01-2020, 11:54 AM
15730
Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)
Originally Posted by Donkeyman
->
I remember in my area it was clocking out not off! And clocking in, not, on!
And we used to lose a quarter if we were one second late!
Donkeyman!
spittys spot on wiv ow we all talk diffrent like.....oop north here we walk IN to a building to clock ON for work..do our bit..then clock ORF from work and walk OUT of the building but whichever way you do it, in, out, on, off the bosses still had you by that clock wether you were a dawdler or a dasher yer never got a penny more or a penny less for your efforts
Fer lands sake Jem how many of us would have thought you were up for dressing up like that...and flaunting it no less. No wonder the missus had a field day with you....and as for blaming the shower ...well I ask you ..but you did make me laugh though at the mental pictures you created as the cold shower thing happened to me once where I was left holding the tap and let me tell you I didn't create such a pretty picture as you did..
Talking of books I have just finished reading Mark Twains Innocents Abroad in which he writes on his disappointment on what he sees. Sarcasm drips from every word as he tears apart all the bigggest and best sights...and I have to admit on a lot of places he was spot on so what he would think now of the same places would be worth knowing. Well worth looking at.
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