feast your eyes

hot spell

she has not made a movie in eight years, still the gorgeous carroll baker has 81 screen credits. she was already in her twenties when she starred in the 1956 film 'baby doll', but she was thoroughly convincing as the young wife who is 'not ready for marriage.'

eli wallach and karl malden are equally great in the film. even though no sex is shown, the movie managed to seriously outrage the board of decency. i think of it as a truly tender film. writer tennessee williams brought to the story much humor. he is said to have had a great fondness for kazan's version of his play.

when i came upon this photo of carroll i had to post it. how gorgeous she was!

p.s. the terrific actor rip torn pops up in a small but interesting scene.

she's got the look

my friend wants glasses like rashida jones, daughter of quincy. i think of her as daughter of peggy lipton! anyone who grew up with 'the mod squad' would agree. either way she is a very cute gal. she is also a harvard grad with 44 screen credits.

keeping fit

anne francis was so dang darlin'.

decisions decisions

Anything well written with good language and clarity and honesty is worth doing. It comes out of the same tradition as Shakespeare.-Michael Moriarty

i often wonder what makes someone decide to do a film. because they want to work with a co-star? they love the script? $? moriarty makes it sound pretty simple.

images from 'who'll stop the rain'

not worried about douglas booth

this darlin' was excellent as 'boy george' in the bbc film 'worried about the boy.' the entire cast was tops. next up, booth plays both 'pip' in 'great expectations' and 'romeo.' naturally.

'mickybo and me'

in my quest to see more movies with actor ciaran hinds i found this treasure. i was up late into the night staring into my computer screen (i rarely watch stuff on the computer) because i loved every scene.

John Joe McNeill, Niall Wright (the boys who carry the story), Julie Walters, Ciaran Hinds and everyone else were perfectly cast and perfectly real. this 2004 irish drama is not available in the states. you can see it on youtube.

my love of the irish began with 'the crying game' and has never faltered. the accent really wows me. the irish storytellers have a brilliant gift for weaving humor through the sadness. i hope you take the time to watch this touching film.

ciaran with a k

where does one even start with such an amazing actor? he already has 79 screen credits. he's done indie films and mega films. an incredibly gifted man.

in the dark

"it's an unhealthy relationship."

Edie: I want you to stay away from me.
Terry: Edie, you love me... I want you to say it to me.
Edie: I didn't say I didn't love you. I said, "Stay away from me."

there are so many quotable lines in 'on the waterfront.' both the novel and screenplay were written by budd schulberg. how happy he must have been to have the best actors reading his words.

photo: amy and blake

smart can be fun

this morning i was reading a piece written by warren beatty and annette benning's intelligent kid. as they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. warren may have earned his reputation as a playboy, but the man made stupendous films. if there are still some of you who have yet to see 'heaven can wait' i offer this clip as a tease:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sQfCJLDU2A&feature=player_embedded

it is one of the most wonderful movies ever made. team warren!

'love that bob'

most people know robert cummings as the lover of grace kelly in hitchcock's 'dial m for murder' but he had a serious heyday in television. in his hit t.v. series he played a fashion photographer. all the models seemed to be in love with him. the show still seems funny.
cummings married five times. his show lasted five years. 178 shows total! each episode would begin with bob taking a photograph of the television audience and then stepping back to say, "i think you're gonna like this." as ray davies once sang, 'young and innocent days...'

he also has 104 other screen credits. a man definitely worthy of remembrace.

some cool facts:
Godson of Orville Wright, an old family friend, who also taught him to fly. He piloted his own plane most of his life.
Not only was he a health food fanatic, but he often carried a small suitcase with him full of vitamin pills.
"I was accused of being a vitamin addict, of eating 40 or 50 tablets a day. I said, 'That's a dastardly lie, I take 140!"