Amph Turner Classic Movies: RARE FILM ALERT: "Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages" (1922) on TCM Tonight

Damn! They do that quite often, and it's really irritating.

The comedy was "The Better 'Ole" with Syd Chaplin, a WWI comedy. Don't see too many of those. I did watch it long enough to determine that though Syd didn't have Charlie's talent, he wasn't bad. The movie itself, though, was pretty lame.

 

TCM has announced a tribute to the scores of Bernard Hermann on March 30th, 2006...

 

They'd better show Psycho, Vertigo, Taxi Driver and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

Other great options: The Day the Earth Stood Still and Citizen Kane . . .

 

Nope.

"Farenheit 451", "Jason and the Argonauts", "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad"; "Cape Fear" and "The Naked and the Dead".

 

Well, they're going for the less famous ones, which is good, I guess.

His score for Fahrenheit 451 is one of his weaker efforts but Cape Fear is good. The others I haven't heard. Which is maybe the point.

 

Well I'll tune in for Farenheit 451 and The Naked And The Dead. Thank you!

 

Today at 2:15 p.m. "The Seven Per Cent Solution" possibly the best Sherlock Holmes Movie ever.

 

Darn. Gonna miss it. I'll need to check the guide for another showing.

 

Notice: Tribute to the scores of Bernard Hermann TODAY. Not any of his famous ones, though..."Fahrenheit 451", "Jason and the Argonauts", etc. etc.

 

I watched the Sinbad movie and for once, remembered to listen to the score. It was good, and the movie was surprising entertaining.

 

Next: two silent movies on April 4 (Tuesday) both starring the silent horror film star, Lon Chaney Senior.

1927: "The Unknown" dir. by Tod Browning
1928: "Laugh, Clown, Laugh" dir. by Herbert Brenon

Senior was a giant star in the 20's. Only "The Phantom of the Opera" is much seen today. Some of the stories of the sort of things he did sound alarmingly like masochism (he plays an armless man in "The Unknown"). He made only only sound picture, which was another huge success, before dying of cancer at a young age (47).

 

There's a story about Lon,two disfigured WWI veterans approached him and said he was the Voice of the Deformed

If I can find a link I will

 

He portrayed armless and legless men in the movies; in "London After Midnight", in which he was a vampire, he used wires to make his eyes bulge.

 

Here's the interview

Lon Sr very much suffered for his art. He actually pulled his legs back to play an amputee in The Penalty.

Rumors have it the hump from Hunchback caused him back problems.

There is a certain mystery about Chaney and I think that is why he remains so popular

 

It was quite interesting...I see his great-grandson suggested that Jim Carrey play him in a biopic. Rather unlikely casting, perhaps.

 

[image=http://www.profundis.it/cinema/images/chaney01.gif]

[image=http://www.laughmachine.com/images/Bios/J/jim_carrey.jpg]

I can see a resemblance.

Man of a Thousand Faces was pure Hollywood fluff,and Jim Cagney looked nothing like Chaney.I hope Ron finds funding for this film...

 

He would be very difficult to cast. The suitable actors I can think of are all Brits, and he's a very American figure.

David Straiharn?

 

He`s a terrific actor but he`s too old.Chaney Sr died when he was 47 years old...

 

Man, wish I got TCM. Those two movies have been on my list to see for ages.

As for a biopic, what about John Malkovich?

 

Rouge if you really wanted to see them.TCM released a DVD set with three Lon films,both Laugh Clown Laugh and the Unknown are included

Amazon page

The price tag is a bit much though

Malkovich would be a good Chaney but he`s too old,I`m thinking Clive Owen but then again he`s British...

 

Not Malkovich, he's too...weird. Yes, I know you're laughing at that, but Chaney was a man of little outward show, and great inner resources. He looked like a working man. Ed Harris is perhaps not right, but closer.

 

I actually thought of Ed Harris, but thought he was too old.

 

Did someone mention Gary Sinise? I think he'd be pretty close.

Next: on April 13, TCM is showing two "Archer" films:

"Black Narcissus" (1947) and "The Life and Death of Col. Blimp" (1943). The Archers were a directing team, Michael Powell and Emich Pressburger. Note: Anton Wahlbrook's character in another of their movies, "The Red Shoes" is supposedly based on Powell. Ouch!

"Black Narcissus" is set in Nepal, but shot in London. You'd never guess it. It has stupendous colour cinematography, and an astonishly creepy performance by Kathleen Byron. Haven't seen the other movie, and am looking forward to it.

 

Colonel Blimp may be my favorite Powell/Pressburger film. I can never decide between it and The Red Shoes. A beautiful film.

 

bright sith! Seems like it's been a long time.

Those are both on my list to see at some point, but I haven't gotten around to either of them yet.