katyjay 5,091 Posted October 12, 2015 Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 For those of you on Facebook and loves old films, there is a page you can 'like' called When Hollywood Was Golden. Very interesting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 "Talking Pictures" was supposed to be on Freeview channel 81 by now. Anyone know what happened to it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 I'm welded to that channel,Albert RN last night..Anthony Steele, a fine actor. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chulla 4,946 Posted October 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2015 I have always loved a good documentary film. Over the years the BBC has produced some crackers - ditto some of the other channels now and then. I remember when the father of documentaries - John Grierson (who was responsible for the word 'documentary') had his own programme on ITV in which he showed a great many documentaries, including those produced under his baton when he headed the GPO Film Unit. There are two BBC documentaries that have always stuck in me mind. I hadn't seen then in decades and always wished that the BBC would show them again. Thank heaven for YouTube, because that is where they both can be found. Here is the first. In 1937 Alexander Korda and his London Films began the production of the filming of Robert Graves' book I Claudius. It starred Charles Laughton, Merle Oberon and other top British actors and was the most lavish production then attempted by a British film studio. It never got finished, but all of the film shot still survives, and it is this, and Dirk Bogarde's narration, that makes up the documentary. It is a fascinating look at a film in production, before any editing, music, special effects had been applied. Incidentally, this was the first time I had heard Richard Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra, used in the opening few minutes, and led me to a strong liking for his music. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chulla 4,946 Posted October 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2015 The other BBC documentary was called B. Traven - A Mystery Solved. It is one of the finest investigative TV programmes I have seen. Robert Robinson is the real life detective in trying to trace the mysterious author. The Warner Brothers 1948 film, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre starred Humphrey Bogart and was directed by John Huston. The author of the original story was B Traven. He was a real man-of-mystery because although he was known from his writings no-one had ever met him or seen him, which for a popular author was very unusual. Robinson set out the find out just who he was; and he was successful where all others had failed, in one of the finest pieces of detection I have ever seen. Unfortunately, it has been split into 6 parts on YouTube. If you want to see it just go in YouTube and type B. Traven - A Mystery Solved. Click on Part 1. The other parts will be easy to click on to. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,429 Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 I'll check those out Chulla. I have always been a fan of bbc documentaries. One thing they really do well. With you on Richard Stauss too. Many similarities to Wagner in my opinion. If you haven't already check out the "Alpine Symphony". Many critics called it "film music." So what! It's good evocative music, with a tremendous brass section. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chulla 4,946 Posted November 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 The great Laurel and Hardy. The second half of this short is a bit tedious, but the first part is hilarious, particularly the ripping scene on the train. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwV05MkSqkA Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,429 Posted November 2, 2015 Report Share Posted November 2, 2015 Thought I'd seen all the L & H films but that was one I had never come across before. Thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chulla 4,946 Posted November 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2015 Watched one of the great pre-war films last night - recorded off TV a couple of days ago. The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Think it was in remembrance of Maureen O'Hara, whose first American film it was and who dies recently. Absolutely superb, particularly the acting of Charles Laughton and Sir Cedric Hardwicke. Terrific set design by Van Nest Polglase and cinematography and direction. Amazingly, the film did not get a single Academy Award, such was the competition in 1939 from Gone With the Wind, Goodbye Mr Chips, Wuthering Heights and The Wizard of Oz. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chulla 4,946 Posted December 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2015 There's another great Christmas film - apart from It's a Wonderful Life - and it too has a fantasy element to its story. It is called The Bishop's Wife, starring Cary Grant, and it is on BBC2 next Saturday mid-day at 12.45. If you haven't already seen it, then don't miss it. If you have seen it, then see it again; it's worth it. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TBI 2,351 Posted December 13, 2015 Report Share Posted December 13, 2015 #32 I got a 20 DVD box set of Laurel & Hardy from a charity shop for just a tenner, still working through it. A few damp squibs but many great laughs I remember from when I was a kid. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
.thumb.jpg.149544ab2c0d61f9317a5f8de1035f0f.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.