Old Movies

[Ryabusa]

I've been on a real kick of watching old film noir flicks (thanks to my wife). The best ones we've watched lately are "Cape Fear" (the original, which blows that piece of shit Scorsese movie away) and last night we watched "The Killing" by Stanley Kubrick.

I'm not a big fan of Kubrick (aside from Clockwork Orange and the first half of Full Metal Jacket), but this movie was fucking brilliant. Probably the most entertaining thing he ever did. What I found really incredible is how much shit Quentin Tarantino ripped off from this movie. I know he is known as a major rip off artist, but I always thought he had a few original ideas. No more am I under that misconception.

If any of you haven't seen the original Cape Fear do yourselves a favor and get it immediately. amazing film. Robert Mitchum is so much better than DeNiro in this role and I don't think there is a better protagonist in movies than Gregory Peck.

[chooch850]

Hurray for old movies. I love them. The original 'Cape Fear' was much better, but most remakes never measure up. I was scared by movies like 'I Saw What You Did'. 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?' is another one I'll watch over and over....'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlette' too. Oh and 'The SnakePit'. 'Imitation of Life' with Lana Turner made me aware of racism. My most favorite of all is 'To Kill a Mockingbird' with Gregory Peck. I could go on forever. 'Arsenic and Old Lace' is one of my most favorite comedies.

Ok, I'll stop for now....Thank You TCM for airing movies most people have forgotten all about.
.....Oh and the musicals 'American in Paris' .....

[minda07]

"The Bad Seed" in black and white is a good movie. I also loved "North by Northwest". I have oodles more that I love, but I am currently drawing a blank.

[Ryabusa]

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is one of the best movies ever made. there is a theater in Baltimore (The Senator) that is one of the old movies palaces. It was built in the late 20s or early 30s, still the same as it always was and its beautiful. Anyway, a couple of months ago they had a free screening of Mockingbird and we took the whole family. It was so great getting to see it on the (really) big screen.

[minda07]

Ohhh - I thought of another one - Sunset Boulevard

[Pegster]

"The Bad Seed" in black and white is a good movie. I also loved "North by Northwest". I have oodles more that I love, but I am currently drawing a blank


I LOVE Cary Grant, North by Northwest and Alfred Hitchcock. I think I mentioned somewhere my obsession with Jimmy Stewart - Rear Window, Vertigo, Harvey, Philadelphia Story, Anatomy of a Murder...et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.


"To Kill a Mockingbird" is one of the best movies ever made. there is a theater in Baltimore (The Senator) that is one of the old movies palaces. It was built in the late 20s or early 30s, still the same as it always was and its beautiful. Anyway, a couple of months ago they had a free screening of Mockingbird and we took the whole family. It was so great getting to see it on the (really) big screen.

Agreed. TKAM is a phenomenal film. I used to catch old flicks at an old theatre back in Pittsbugh. It was awesome.

Great thread, Rya!

My favorite actor of all time is Jack Lemmon. Some Like it Hot still makes me laugh out loud. He was great in everything he did.

[RachWho?]

"The Bad Seed" in black and white is a good movie. I also loved "North by Northwest". I have oodles more that I love, but I am currently drawing a blank.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the original Bad Seed. They don't make evil little kid actors like her anymore.

[TinkerbellAPixie]

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is one of the best movies ever made. there is a theater in Baltimore (The Senator) that is one of the old movies palaces. It was built in the late 20s or early 30s, still the same as it always was and its beautiful. Anyway, a couple of months ago they had a free screening of Mockingbird and we took the whole family. It was so great getting to see it on the (really) big screen.

We had a theater like that outside Chicago - it's called the Catlow for those of you familiar with Barrington in the NW burbs. It's from the 20's and when I lived there (7 years ago) they still had the original projectionist. He was a character. He said that was his only job and he only missed 3 years when he was in the service, otherwise he'd never missed a show.

As for To Kill A Mockingbird - my new nephew is named Jason Atticus for Atticus Finch. Gotta love me some Greg Peck.

I was raised on old movies, my Mom used to let me stay up for the late show and the late late show in the summers when I was a kid. We'd make popcorn and sit and watch all the oldie goldies. Then when we got our first vcr we would rent movies by theme. We'd have a Cary Grant festival which would then spawn an Audrey Hepburn Festival, then Fred Astaire and so on. Or we'd go by directors - she is the one who turned me on to Hitchcock. My minor in college was film - specifically the films of Alfred Hitchcock. I am an ENORMOUS fan.

To this day I can't resist a good oldie. Some of my faves include Penny Serenade (if you don't cry watching this movie you have no heart), It Happened One Night, Life with Father, Yours, Mine and Ours... I could go on all day.

I agree - great thread Ryan!

[JulieM]

OMG, "I Know who you are and I saw what you did" is so scary. The one I love to use to scare the hell out of people is "Wait until Dark" with Audrey Hepburn.

My favorite all time movie is Dr. Zhivago. Stunningly beautiful and well acted movie. I still cry no matter how many times I've seen it.

[chooch850]

"Miracle Worker"....when Anne Bancroft locks Patty Duke in the diningroom with her and proceeds to teach her how to eat. It's classic, and in the end, "She folded her napkin."

[JulieM]

"Miracle Worker"....when Anne Bancroft locks Patty Duke in the diningroom with her and proceeds to teach her how to eat. It's classic, and in the end, "She folded her napkin."

Excellent!

[Ryabusa]

I'm glad you guys like the thread. I should get my wife to join on here, she's the one that really got me into the oldies. She is somewhat of an expert on them and could watch TCM all day.

They just don't make actors like Bogart, Mitchum and Peck anymore. And the women back then were so much better than most of the actresses of today. Marilyn Monroe has pretty much been my idea of the perfect woman since I was 13. I hate these skinny actresses today.

If we ever have a boy I have my heart set on naming him Logan Atticus. The Logan part is for Wolverine, and the Atticus - duh. Yes, I am a dork. And no, I may not be allowed to get away with that.

[Keoni]

Something very simplistic (deceptively simplistic) about of these two, well-crafted films.

Twelve Angry Men was really good, though I was skeptical at first. But I was really drawn into it. And wow! Sidney Lumet, the director is still making films today.

And I love Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? one of my all time favorite films! Just a great little film. Everything about it is just so well done.

[chooch850]

I loved "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" more after it was satired in MAD Magazine. An old, drunk Elisabeth Taylor is not as good as a young, drunk ET. Check out "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" for the best.

[lennonwhore]

i love all the old musicals, especially guys and dolls...umm and Citizen Kane, and very many others but can.t think of them right now

[angiemarie]

Anyone who doesn't love To Kill A Mockingbird is missing a heart.


My grandma was a huge Bette Davis fan, and I love her movies too. I think my favorite is All About Eve.


I also love Auntie Mame with Rosalind Russell. She had the best lines about drinking and being hungover. "Run along to Ito and tell him to bring me a light breakfast - black coffee and a side car."

[jampony]

Oooh, I can't stand musicals! That's all my mom ever watched when I was growing up -- sometimes it felt like Brigadoon and Oklahoma were the only movies they showed on tv. To this day we'll be at a family party or out shopping together and, very quietly, she'll start singing "brand new state, brand new state" and if I don't chime in with the next line within a couple of seconds, I get walloped. Then we have to sing the whole song pretty much as loudly as we can. I'm cringing just thinking about it. :eek:

[Keoni]

When I was a kid, I use to think that Maureen O'Hara was like the hottest woman ever, like the very epitome of a woman. Fiery, fiesty, gruff, fierce, and then she could turn on a dime and be gentle and seductive - and the red hair. She was beautiful.
She was in Parent Trap and the only reason I'd watch that movie.

[jennilicious]

Y'all are making me miss my netflix! I love this thread!
I do love some Hitchcock..my favorite is probably Shadow of a Doubt..I love love love Joseph Cotten, he's totally got the everyman good guy face and demeanor but he can do sinister like nobody's business.
And yeah it's totally cliche but I love It's a Wonderful Life..I watch it at Christmas and like once or twice during the year when I need some happy.

[TinkerbellAPixie]

Thought of some more faves:

Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream Home
Mr. Smith Went to Washington
Bringing Up Baby
The Major and the Minor
His Girl Friday
Primrose Path

Gonna have to pull some out and watch this weekend.

[chooch850]

Oh, the original "Father of the Bride" with Spencer Tracy. The scene where he stands in the kitchen making drinks for everyone is priceless. The dialog in those movies was so important.
....and what was the name of the movie where Jimmy Stewart takes the whole family to the beach house for the summer. "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" was kind of a remake of it.

[JulieM]

Cute movie...Trouble With Angels with Hayley Mills...I have a scathingly brilliant idea.

Loved Maureen O'Hara in Spencer's Mountain and Parent Trap.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Barefoot in the Park--ahhh Robert Redford

A Summer Place

One that is not so old, but should be a classic, Summer of 42.

[JulieM]

Houseboat with Cary Grant and Sophia Loren

Daddy Long Legs with Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron

[Keoni]

Cute movie...Trouble With Angels with Hayley Mills...I have a scathingly brilliant idea.

Loved Maureen O'Hara in Spencer's Mountain and Parent Trap.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Barefoot in the Park--ahhh Robert Redford

A Summer Place

One that is not so old, but should be a classic, Summer of 42.
I love Spencer's Mountain. I use to love all the movies with big families or extended families, like With Six You Get Eggroll, Sound of Mucas, Yours Mine Ours.

[may1]

Great thread. I love old movies!
You all have mentioned so many good ones. I can only add A Patch of Blue. Great movie with Sidney Portier. Love Hitchcock movies, anything with Bette Davis, Audrey Hepburn or Catherine Hepburn, and Humphrey Bogart. Oh, Casablanca!

The first time we hooked up our bigscreen HDTV, I put on TCM and started watching a movie. My hubby couldn't believe that's what I chose to watch, not something in HD!

[Ryabusa]

Casablanca is one of those movies that I put off seeing forever because I figured it would never live up to its reputation. Then I saw it and learned why it is so highly revered.

Citizen Kane on the other hand I found to be overrated.

[TinkerbellAPixie]

Citizen Kane on the other hand I found to be overrated.

You have to watch Kane from the point of view of the times. It was such a ground breaking piece of film making. They were the first to show ceilings - the first to use high and low angles to denote a character's... character. As Kane began to rise in power the camera would go lower and lower shooting up at him to show how big he was becoming.

I loved the montage of his marriage showing how they went from happily in love to so very remote.

The use of light and shadows was also so beautiful. The cold darkness of that monstrosity of a house he built. His Xanadu where you could sit inside his fireplace it was so large and yet it still came across as cold and impersonal.

Orson Wells did so much to change how movies were made with that one film. I think now we are just so far removed from it to realize that it was unlike anything ever seen before.

(Plus it had one of the greatest mysteries of all time - who actually was there to HEAR him utter "Rosebud"?)

I realize I am showing my movie geekness in full force now.

[may1]

Hey Tink, fly your movie geek flag proudly!

[Ryabusa]

Tink, I agree with you 100%. All of your points are dead on and as a huge movie geek myself I am a big fan of Orson Welles and respect his talent tremendously. However, while I think it was truly a very important and groundbreaking film and should be appreciated for that, I didn't find it entertaining. Maybe because I knew what Rosebud was, but I just couldn't get into it. Casablanca on the other hand (just to have something to compare it to) completely sucked me in despite knowing the ending going into it. Citizen Kane to me (on an entertainment level) is like The Crying Game in that once you know the big secret it really takes away from the film.

Did you know Orson Welles was planning on doing a big budget, very dark and serious version of Batman in the 40s? God that would have been fucking cool (I'm a huge Batman fan). He wanted to be Bruce Wayne/Batman and had lined up some of his friends for the other roles, all of whom agreed to be in it. Basil Rathbone was to be Joker, James Cagney - the Riddler, George Raft - Two Face and Marlene Dietrich - Catwoman. The studio on the other hand wanted Gregory Peck to be Wayne/Batman (so cool) and even went as far to screen test him in the costume they had designed (rumor has it there are pictures around somewhere). Welles was the one that had bought the rights and flew off the handle when he found out about their interest in Peck. He refused to make the movie and wouldn't sell the rights. Thus it was buried. Oh, what could have been...

Or, all of that is a big, but awesome, rumor. I am skeptical of everything I read, but I really want to believe that.

[jampony]

I love Spencer's Mountain. I use to love all the movies with big families or extended families, like With Six You Get Eggroll, Sound of Mucas, Yours Mine Ours.
I wouldn't watch that movie if you paid me. Gross.

[Keoni]

One of the things I thought of Citizen Kane was the use of few cuts. The camera moved a little and the characters moved but not a whole lot of cuts between shots. That was cool. Today's movies, it's a different shot every few seconds from every angle possible. A Touch of Evil was good too.

And what's wrong with the Sound of Mucas? It has its place and time. Same with Mary Pooppins and Maim.

[lennonwhore]

how are we forgetting Lawrence of Arabia?

or The Graduate??

[TinkerbellAPixie]

Or Gone With the Wind - where my name comes from. Mom named 5 of the 6 of us from movies. (see where I get my movie loving obsession).

Let's see if you can guess what movies their names came from:

Tiffany
Amy
Emily
Andrew

[Ryabusa]

For the first one I am going to have to go with the obvious, Breakfast at Tiffany's. But I kind of hope I'm wrong cuz, wasn't she kind of a ho?

[TinkerbellAPixie]

Lol - yes she was a total ho. I never got that when I was a kid watching it - but the first time I saw it as an adult I was soooo shocked. (and yes that's right movie - Mom lovesssss Audrey Hepburn)

[chooch850]

Sorry Tink, can't think of any movie charactors.
Andrew Dice Clay, maybe, in "Ford Fairlane".
That Irving chick that was married to Speilberg, wasn't she in "Chasing Amy"?
Emily has me totally stumped, but I'm still thinking about her.....

[TinkerbellAPixie]

I'll give you a hint. The Amy in the movie (and the book) had a lot of sisters (just like my Amy).

[jampony]

I'll give you a hint. The Amy in the movie (and the book) had a lot of sisters (just like my Amy).

Little Women?

Edit: Nope, just checked imdb. Are you gonna tell us the answers or should we keep guessing? How about some more hints!

[chooch850]

I'm watching AFI's 100 Years....100 Movies.
I 'm just loving it and the movies are all my favorites and some I've never seen. It's great.

[chooch850]

I'm watching AFI's 100 Years....100 Movies.
I 'm just loving it and the movies are all my favorites and some I've never seen. It's great.

Here are the Top 25.....

Citizen Kane (1941)
Casablanca (1942)
The Godfather (1972)
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Graduate (1967)
On the Waterfront (1954)
Schindler's List (1993)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Star Wars (1977)
All About Eve (1950)
The African Queen (1951)
Psycho (1960)
Chinatown (1974)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Raging Bull (1980)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

I didn't agree with the top 10, some of MY favorites didn't even make the top fifty. If you would like to see the complete list, just go here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI's_100_Years..._100_Movies

Keep in mind, the original list was compiled in 1997 and was revised in 2007. You must scroll down to see the 2007 revisions.

[minda07]

I have two all time favorite movies one is Wizard of Oz - the scarecrow was my favorite - I have probably seen this movie 100 times. My second is Halloween - huh - I have probably seen it a 100 times as well!

[JasonR]

I'm glad to see "Shawshank Redemption" is at #72 (but I would put it even higher). Probably my favorite movie that isn't about the mafia (Godfather & Goodfellas are very high on my all-time list).

[Ryabusa]

Here are the Top 25.....

Citizen Kane (1941)
Casablanca (1942)
The Godfather (1972)
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Graduate (1967)
On the Waterfront (1954)
Schindler's List (1993)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Star Wars (1977)
All About Eve (1950)
The African Queen (1951)
Psycho (1960)
Chinatown (1974)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Raging Bull (1980)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)


OVERRATED

[lennonwhore]

The Graduate is NOT overrated, its awesome!

however, i agree about the other two. i.m watching M.A.S.H right now (the movie) and think that it deserves a mention here!

[chooch850]

I totally agree about 2001 Space Odyssey. I never got thru the whole movie.

M*A*S*H is 56th on the list, LW.

[lennonwhore]

damn alcohol making me dumb!

[Pegster]

It's A Wonderful Life is NOT overrated. Jimmy Stewart's performance alone is worth the price of admission. It is the epitome of "classic" movie. To this day, families watch this film together.


And don't even get me started on the 2001 haters. Geesh.

[RachWho?]

yeah, all three of those movies rock--lay off the crack, Ry.

And frankly, I think it is bullshit that Clueless and Dirty Dancing didn't make the cut.

Not to mention Harold and Maude.

(and of course Ghost World...)

[Ryabusa]

I'm not saying those are bad movies, they just don't deserve to be in the Top 25 of all time. One of the things I hate about this list is that of all of those movies only ONE was made in the last twenty years, and only two in the last twenty-five. That is absurd.

Any of these movies (in my opinion) deserve to be on that list more than those three:

Raiders of the Lost Ark - come on is there a more entertaining or endearing movie out there?

Goodfellas - Admittedly I have said this movie is overrated, but only when people say it is the best movie ever made.

Pulp Fiction - I think Tarantino only had two great movies in him (this and Reservoir Dogs), but this movie changed the way Hollywood wrote and made movies. Its effects are still evident. And even though QT stole most of his good ideas from other film makers this is still a great movie.

Shawshank Redemption - Way more uplifting than "Wonderful Life" might not want to watch it with the kiddies though.

The Sixth Sense - Ok, probably the weakest of the movies I've chosen on here, I admit that. But again, this movie was ground-breaking. Can anyone honestly say that after seeing this they haven't changed the way they watch movies? The general public used to just sit back and enjoy the ride in a theater, now everyone wants to figure out the swerve before it happens. This movie made people so much more involved in the process of watching a film because they didn't want to get fooled again.

The Departed - I don't care what anyone says, this movie is better than Goodfellas (but that is another conversation) and deserves to be on the list by that right alone.

There are plenty more, I just wanted to point out that the list is severely biased toward older films and that plenty of movies that are superior to some on the list have been made in that past two decades.

[Krizzatch]

I'm not saying those are bad movies, they just don't deserve to be in the Top 25 of all time. One of the things I hate about this list is that of all of those movies only ONE was made in the last twenty years, and only two in the last twenty-five. That is absurd.

Any of these movies (in my opinion) deserve to be on that list more than those three:

Raiders of the Lost Ark - come on is there a more entertaining or endearing movie out there?

Goodfellas - Admittedly I have said this movie is overrated, but only when people say it is the best movie ever made.

Pulp Fiction - I think Tarantino only had two great movies in him (this and Reservoir Dogs), but this movie changed the way Hollywood wrote and made movies. Its effects are still evident. And even though QT stole most of his good ideas from other film makers this is still a great movie.

Shawshank Redemption - Way more uplifting than "Wonderful Life" might not want to watch it with the kiddies though.

The Sixth Sense - Ok, probably the weakest of the movies I've chosen on here, I admit that. But again, this movie was ground-breaking. Can anyone honestly say that after seeing this they haven't changed the way they watch movies? The general public used to just sit back and enjoy the ride in a theater, now everyone wants to figure out the swerve before it happens. This movie made people so much more involved in the process of watching a film because they didn't want to get fooled again.

The Departed - I don't care what anyone says, this movie is better than Goodfellas (but that is another conversation) and deserves to be on the list by that right alone.

There are plenty more, I just wanted to point out that the list is severely biased toward older films and that plenty of movies that are superior to some on the list have been made in that past two decades.

Completely agree with everything you've said here Ry - I ended up posting on the main page where TB put up the AFI results. That the most recent "greatest movie" was #1: made in 2001, almost 6 years ago, and #2: Lord of the Freakin Rings, is absolutely ridiculous. Christ, they should put on Pirates of the Caribbean then. Gahhhh.

I agree with you on The Departed, and raise you a Crash and a Pan's Labrynth.

[Clair]

I watched the 100 Movies too and realized I hadn't seen a lot of them so I added 23 to my Netflix list. I passed on anything violent (Godfather), sad (Schlinder's List) or stupid-looking (Chinatown).

[Ryabusa]

Violent, Godfather - CHECK

Sad, Schindler - CHECK

Stupid-looking, Chinatown - ? ? ?

Just curious why you thought it looked stupid. Granted I refuse to watch it now, but that's because it was directed by that piece of shit child rapist Roman Polanski. He could direct a public service announcement about curing cancer and I would ignore it.* But I have seen it and it's a great film.

* I also refuse to watch anything by the other child raping director that Hollywood insists upon employing, Victor Salva. He molested a 12 year old boy - and filmed it! He made "Powder" and those "Jeepers Creepers" movies.

EDIT
I really gotta bump Pan's Labyrinth up on my Netflix queue.

[Clair]

Stupid-looking, Chinatown - ? ? ?

Just curious why you thought it looked stupid.

EDIT
I really gotta bump Pan's Labyrinth up on my Netflix queue.

Well, yea, it looks uninteresting and the plot summary from IMDB didn't help: Los Angeles detective Jake Gittes is hired by a woman claiming to be a Mrs. Mulwray to spy on her husband. Shortly after Gittes is hired, the real Mrs. Mulwray appears in his office threatening to sue if he doesn't drop the case immediately. Gittes pursues the case anyway, slowly uncovering a vast conspiracy centering on water management, state and municipal corruption, land use and real estate, and involving at least one murder. :yawn:

I heard Pan's Labyrinth is violent.

[RachWho?]

Well, yea, it looks uninteresting and the plot summary from IMDB didn't help: Los Angeles detective Jake Gittes is hired by a woman claiming to be a Mrs. Mulwray to spy on her husband. Shortly after Gittes is hired, the real Mrs. Mulwray appears in his office threatening to sue if he doesn't drop the case immediately. Gittes pursues the case anyway, slowly uncovering a vast conspiracy centering on water management, state and municipal corruption, land use and real estate, and involving at least one murder. :yawn:

I heard Pan's Labyrinth is violent.

That description almost put me to sleep...

Pan's Labyrinth is violent but in a historically accurate context. The acting is incredible and the fantasy scenes are really amazing. Just don't watch it with little kids.

[Ryabusa]

Yeah, I can't blame you on that one.

[chooch850]

The "Blondie & Dagwood" movies of the early '40s with Arthur Lake and Penny Singleton were my favorites when I was a kid. I loved the running gag of Dagwood running into the mailman. I was also a big "Ma & Pa Kettle" fan.

[dr.birdie]

I almost forgot about the "Blondie and Dagwood" movies. I used to watch those with my grandparents, along with the "Ma and Pa Kettle" series.

[1iota]

Definitely can't beat any Marx Brothers films. A Night at the Opera is one of the best comedies ever made. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor, and check it out.

[Katmandu]

Ma and Pa Kettle remind me of being a kid. My brothers and my sister and I watching and laughing our heads off. What was the one with the talking mule or horse.
clarence I think.

You could talk about this with your sister tink and feel old again.

[chooch850]

That was Francis the talking mule... he was great. I can't remember the actor who was his pal. Guess I'll hafta look it up or it will drive me crazy!

[Katmandu]

That was Francis the talking mule... he was great. I can't remember the actor who was his pal. Guess I'll hafta look it up or it will drive me crazy!

now I remember those were great and I can picture the guy. let me know who it was maybe I need this in the old thread but were there more than one francis movies

[chooch850]

There were 7 "Francis" movies and Donald O'Connor starred in 6 of them. He didn't play in the 7th because he said Francis received more fan mail than he did. Mickey Rooney stepped in for the last movie. The voice of Francis was actor Chill Wills.

Here's some trivia.....

The actual mule who appeared on-screen was not a male at all, but a female named Molly, selected because she was easy to handle. According to author Pauline Bartel, Universal paid $350 for the animal, but made millions from the film series. Molly was trained by Les Hilton, a former apprentice of Will Rogers who would also go on to train Bamboo Harvester, the horse who played Mr. Ed. To create the impression that the mule was actually talking, Hilton used a thread fed into the animal's mouth, which when tugged, would cause Molly to try to remove it by moving her lips (the same technique used for Mr. Ed).



Here's more ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_the_Talking_Mule

[Katmandu]

Thanks chooch. this thread is fun when you start remembering the old days

[Cherie]

Does anybody remeber a movie from way back with Jack Nicholson and Mary Steenbergen(I think) where he's about to be hanged and there are so few men in the town that if someone will marry him he gets to live?
I can't think of the name and it is driving me nuts. She marries him and makes him work in her mine and she's kinda nutty and hangs her chairs on the wall? Anybody?

[Ellsbells]

It's called Goin' South
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077621/

You know you can go to imdb.com and look up 2 people's name to see what movies they were in together right? That's what I did. :)

[Cherie]

Yes That's IT! Thanks Ells and no I didn't think to do that, so thanks for that too.
I loved that movie! I forgot how many other famous people were in that. I need to watch that again.

[John Bender]

Not really THAT old of a movie, but the other night "The Black Hole" (1979) came on AMC. I think it was a part of an Anthony Perkins marathon. I was flipping channels - and was instantly sucked in. Cheesy, late '70s science fiction - gotta love it, even though this was definitely one of Disney's darker films.

[chooch850]

I spent 2 1/2 plus hours watching "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" with Gregory Peck last night..... It had all the old movie cliche's and I really wanted to change to something else after awhile but I had too much time invested. It took all that time to get to the moral to the story. Just because you're rich doesn't mean a thing if your family suffers because of it. Classic Crap!!!

[RachWho?]

I watched an awesome old movie last night, "The Naked Kiss" from 1964. It's directed by Samuel Fuller, who many consider to be one of the father's of independent cinema. It was playing during our local film festival and is one of James Gunn's (Jenna Fischer of "Ehe Office's" ex's) favorite movies ever. He was there to present it. I highly recommend it for its camp, melodrama, and all around uniqueness.