Impressively (at least to me), I have seen I think literally none of these, expect maybe Duel In the Sun, which, like King Vidor himself, I think I know only from people like Scorsese constantly bringing up in documentaries. Hmmm ...
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 15 June 2020 14:56 (three years ago) link
(not a swipe at those early '30s Borzage films I like)
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 June 2020 14:56 (three years ago) link
Duel in the Sun, from my one viewing, seemed funny the way opera is funny, if you choose to be distant from it.
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Monday, 15 June 2020 15:26 (three years ago) link
objectively this is The Fountainhead
― comparing me to Harold Shipman is unfair (Noodle Vague), Monday, 15 June 2020 16:18 (three years ago) link
objectivistly
actually i'm more interested in catching up with Ruby Gentry, which features Charlton Heston and a swamp in support of Jennifer Jones.
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Monday, 15 June 2020 16:28 (three years ago) link
yeah it was a poorly formed joke, haven't seen enough of these to form an opinion but plenty of time.
Man Without a Star is good, as i remember from many years ago The Citadel is good, Stella Dallas up there obviously
― comparing me to Harold Shipman is unfair (Noodle Vague), Monday, 15 June 2020 16:32 (three years ago) link
Is The Champ worth a watch?
― A White, White Gay (cryptosicko), Monday, 20 July 2020 19:55 (three years ago) link
Yes. Vidor was rarely gormless.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 20 July 2020 20:00 (three years ago) link
I rewatched The Champ without remembering that Vidor directed it, and talk about a film that shouldn't work today, but does.
No one talks about Wallace Beery as a great actor anymore, but he started as a comic in movies circa 1915 (search "Sweedie") and he does an absolutely brilliant pantomime of waking up hung over in the first reel of this film.
At his worst Jackie Cooper does the standard "Gee willikers" canned kid acting of the era, but occasionally takes on the mannerisms of a 40-year-old and it's worth it. "Come down to Tijuana sometime and I'll show ya around."
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 25 July 2020 16:41 (three years ago) link
Also Cooper's juvenile pal is ever-present in an unusual way for the early '30s. "This is my friend Jonah. He's colored."
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 25 July 2020 17:03 (three years ago) link
There's an 80s (I think) remake of The Champ with Jon Voight that demonstrates why it shouldn't work
― À la recherche du scamps perdu (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 25 July 2020 17:07 (three years ago) link
with Faye Dunaway having the hots for Ricky Schroder.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 25 July 2020 19:02 (three years ago) link
it was perpetrated by Zeffirelli, what else wd you expect?
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 25 July 2020 20:30 (three years ago) link
Stella Dallas (1937) - only one i've seen, good tearjerker
― devvvine, Saturday, 25 July 2020 21:00 (three years ago) link
i didn't realise it was Zeffirelli until i checked the year today, yes that explains everything
― À la recherche du scamps perdu (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 25 July 2020 21:56 (three years ago) link
I like this bit from Scott Eyman's Speed of Sound:
Vidor was a fascinating combination of ascetic and pagan, passion and pragmatism, given to much contemplation of life's deeper meanings, but always pausing for invariably successful pursuits of the pleasure principle. He was, all his long life, a lethal lady's man, with the inevitable result that he was far more successful as a lover than as a husband. Along these lines, although he was fascinated by the spiritual, he was not above cheating on his income tax, which would lead to his being successfully prosecuted for fraud a few years later. (One deduction in particular caught the eye of the IRS; it seemed that Vidor had bet Sam Goldwyn $1,200 that his wife would bear him a son. Vidor lost the bet and tried to deduct the $1,200 as a business expense.)
― flappy bird, Saturday, 5 September 2020 07:03 (three years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Friday, 11 December 2020 00:01 (three years ago) link
RIP MORBS
― "what are you DOING to fleetwood mac??" (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 11 December 2020 01:14 (three years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Saturday, 12 December 2020 00:01 (three years ago) link
Who voted for The Wife of the Centaur and how did you see it?
― Infanta Terrible (j.lu), Saturday, 12 December 2020 03:00 (three years ago) link
https://www.filmlinc.org/daily/announcing-king-vidor-a-career-spanning-retrospective-on-the-hollywood-icon-august-5-14/
I'm glad that this retrospective is finally happening, and I'm hoping that some or all of it comes to The National Gallery and/or AFI Silver. But so many titles (in my opinion) are missing.
― Infanta Terrible (j.lu), Wednesday, 13 July 2022 22:51 (one year ago) link