Old Movies and Favorite Books

Options
24

Comments

  • abbadoodles
    abbadoodles Member Posts: 2,618
    edited March 2008

    I'd love to do the book club but consider me an alternate. Wink  My own book club here at home has me plenty busy.  We've been together for at least 15 years.  Actually, I joined them when they had already been rolling for a number of years.

    Arsenic and Old Lace.  Yes!!! Love it.  Am going to look into You'll Find Out.  I love the Big Band sound and all those goofy comedians and the spooks so it sounds just perfect.

    Remember Sonja Henne?  The ice skating queen?

    Peter Sellers and the Pink Panther movies are among my all-time favorites.  Yes, the "minkey."  How about him asking for a "rim" at the hotel?  Every morning when I come into my office I greet it, "Hello, rim."  Tongue out

    My favorite Christmas Carol is the one with George C. Scott, a little too late for this discussion.  Every Christmas, for sure.

    Tina

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Paulette531
    Paulette531 Member Posts: 738
    edited March 2008

    AnneW...YES, anything with Redford, God how I love him! Out of Africa...I could watch it over and over...and all his early movies, oh and Havana, loved it. He is looking old but still well soooooooooo Redford!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • candie1971
    candie1971 Member Posts: 4,820
    edited March 2008

    Yes,Paulette, R.Redford is looking old but oh so good...I agreeLaughing

    Last night I watched Father of the Bride w/Spencer Tracy..saw that a million times. This morning I watched Father Dunn w/Patrick O'Brien and a movie I don't know the name of about a Pastor..played by Joel McCrea. Lots of good movies on today on the TCM channel.

    Happy Easter.

    Hugs and prayers,

    Candie

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SLH
    SLH Member Posts: 566
    edited March 2008

    No one has mentioned three of my favorite movies:

    The Odd Couple-Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau

    Breakfast At Tiffany's-Audrey Hepburn

    Some Like It Hot-Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis

    Anne, To Kill a Mockingbird is also my favorite book and one of the best movies of all time.

    sally 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • anneshirley
    anneshirley Member Posts: 1,110
    edited March 2008

    Sally--I believe "Some Like It Hot" was voted by the American Film Institute as the number 1 or 2 comedy of all time.  And I absolutely agree.  I watch it any time it's on TV.  Great performances by everyone, but Jack Lemon . . . ! Love the scene when he comes home after dancing all night with Joey E. Brown, still dressed to kill as a woman, and can't stop talking about his engagement and future marriage.  And the ending, of course.  Also, love "The Odd Couple."  I haven't seen "Mockingbird" in years; must order it from Netflick.

    For tonight on TCM at 9:30, Mildred Pierce and later Torch Song, both with Joan Crawford. 

    And at 9:00, Masterpiece Theater, Jane Austen's Emma.  I don't believe I've seen this one, with Kate Beckinsale.  I saw Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow years ago, but didn't like it.  Paltrow was not a very good Emma, I thought. Difficult decision, but I think I'll watch Emma.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • anneshirley
    anneshirley Member Posts: 1,110
    edited March 2008

    How about a book/film club where we discuss the book and the film and compare the two.  Lots of classics have been made into films, and some really good films.  Some suggestions:

    The Great Gatsby, Gone with the Wind, Jane Eyre, Wurthing Heights, Pride and Prejudice, Mockingbird, Rebecca, and so many more.  We can pick a book (films are easy to get from Netflick) and decide on which version (or versions) we want to compare it too.  I love the Masterpiece Theatre version of Pride and Prejudice--my favorite Elizabeth; the Joan Fontaine Rebecca, Orson Wells in Heights, but those are just my suggestions.  There's only been one Mockingbird and Gatsby as far as I know.

    If you're interested please post your preference and we can go with the majority. We could start in mid-April, give everyone a chance to read book and see film.  No tests! 

    We can do a different one every month or every other month.  No pressure; just fun. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lucky32
    lucky32 Member Posts: 97
    edited March 2008

    Thanks to Lisa and Tina for the info--I knew I wasn't imagining those characters!

    Anneshirley, I think the Carolyn Keene series you mentioned is the Dana Girls. Somebody else mentioned them, too. I had one of the books and enjoyed it, but never could find any of the others. I guess Nancy Drew is so much better known.

    Anybody else read the Paddington Bear books? I still find myself saying that I'm at a "lewse end," as Paddington says. I had to explain what this meant to my husband the first time he heard me say it--he thought I was nuts! And, unfortunately, I've had my share of "something nasty in the kitchen," although I've never made quite as much of a mess as Paddington.

    Let's see, what else. . .

    Doctor Zhivago (book and movie). 

    Gone with the Wind (ditto).

    I loved Follett's The Pillars of the Earth, but I haven't read the sequel yet. It's in the stack. Has anybody read it yet? Is it good?

    I like the Miss Read novels. They're stories of English village life.

    I'll probably think of more later!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • abbadoodles
    abbadoodles Member Posts: 2,618
    edited March 2008

    Gawd, Miss Read.  I thought I was the only one that still knew who she was.  Have a pile of unread Miss Read's on my bookstand.  Guess what I will be taking to the hospital with me later this week?  Perfecto!

    How could I have forgotten E.F. Benson's Lucia novels?  There are six of them plus the two by Tom Holt written to continue the series and, believe me, they are every bit as good as Benson's.  The first six are available separately plus all in one edition called Make Way for Lucia. http://www.amazon.com/Make-Way-Lucia-E-Benson/dp/0060915080/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206299509&sr=8-1

    Tina

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • iodine
    iodine Member Posts: 4,289
    edited March 2008

    Count me in on the Cherry Ames books!  I knew that nursing would be my career in the 4th grade. 

    My fav. adult book is Pillars of the Earth and I've read it many times.

    I love all the Hepburn movies--great women's libber!

    Oh, and I, too, love the older movies because of all the women's clothing and accessories!  Just to wear one of those slinky dressing gowns with Yards and Yards of bias cut fabric, and the tailoring and design were amazing!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Poppy
    Poppy Member Posts: 405
    edited March 2008

    Watson ~ Too funny! I am sort of the opposite... when I am reading a great book I actually stop myself from reading it sometimes b/c I don't want it to end! I've never called in sick for a movie or book, but now that I have netflix, I could! :D

    Tina ~ If you like big band and camp, you'll probably think YFO is a cute movie. The woman who sings with them (Ginny maybe?) has such a pretty voice. I found out after falling in love with this movie that Kay and Georgia Kyser retired in my home town of Chapel Hill, NC. He had passed away, but she was still alive. I always wanted to meet her but I'm sure she would've taken out a restraining order against me! LOL

    Another Pink Panther fan here too!

    Erica

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • LisaSDCA
    LisaSDCA Member Posts: 2,230
    edited March 2008

    Are we going to try to stick with older books/movies if we do the suggested comparison type of club? We do have a kazillion to choose from:

    Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton

    All's Quiet on the Western Front - Remarque

    Anna Karenina - Tolstoy

    Anne of Green Gables Wink - Montgomery

    Bridge Over the River Kwai - Boulle

    The Caine Mutiny - Wouk

    Catch-22 - Heller (just re-read this last week)

    Dr. Strangelove - George

    Dracula - Stoker

    Exodus - Uris

    Frankenstein - Shelley

    Hawaii - Michener

    Heidi - Spyri

    Kidnapped - Stevenson

    Last of the Mohicans - Cooper

    Lawrence of Arabia - Lawrence (Book:7 Pillars of Wisdom)

    Little Women - Alcott

    A Night to Remember - Lord

    Old Yeller - Gipson

    Portrait of a Lady - James

    Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Hardy

    To Kill a Mocking Bird - Lee

    The Treasure of the Sierra Madre - Traven

    The Untouchables - Fraley

    Whatever Happened to Baby Jane - Farrell

    The Wizard of Oz - Baum

    MORE to come. . .  

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • anneshirley
    anneshirley Member Posts: 1,110
    edited March 2008

    thanks for list Lisa.  Watched the Caine Mutiny the other night.  Bogard did a wonderful job, particularly the scene at the trial.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • LisaSDCA
    LisaSDCA Member Posts: 2,230
    edited March 2008

    Of course, I'm skipping over some of the obvious ones already mentioned - Wuthering Heights, Dr. Zhivago, Gone with the Wind, etc.

    Jane Austen
    Spacer LineEmma
    Spacer LinePersuasion
    Spacer LinePride and Prejudice
    Spacer LineSense and Sensibility

    James M. Cain
    Spacer LineDouble Indemnity
    Spacer LineMildred Pierce
    Spacer LineThe Postman Always Rings Twice

    Agatha Christie
    Spacer LineDeath on the Nile
    Spacer LineEvil under the Sun
    Spacer LineMurder on the Orient Express
    Spacer LineTen Little Indians (aka And Then There Were None)
    Spacer LineThe Mirror Crack'd

    Charles Dickens
    Spacer LineChristmas Carol
    Spacer LineGreat Expectations
    Spacer LineOliver Twist

    Alexandre Dumas
    Spacer LineThe Count of Monte Cristo
    Spacer LineThe Man in the Iron Mask
    Spacer LineThe Three Musketeers

    E.M. Forester
    Spacer LineHoward's End
    Spacer LineA Passage to India
    Spacer LineA Room With a View (older books, newer movies)

    Dashiell Hammett
    Spacer LineThe Maltese Falcon
    Spacer LineThe Thin Man
    Victor Hugo
    Spacer LineHunchback of Notre Dame
    Spacer LineLes Miserables

    John Steinbeck
    Spacer LineEast of Eden
    Spacer LineThe Grapes of Wrath
    Spacer LineOf Mice and Men

    Jules Verne
    Spacer Line20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
    Spacer LineAround the World in 80 Days

    Figure these might give us a jumping off place Laughing - if we decide to do a simultaneous book/movie thang. I don't do netflix, but I do fortunately have a family owned video store in the neighborhood that prides itself on having every classic film, foreign film, obscure artsy-fartsy film, and new releases. It's waaay cool. So I can get any of these.

    Lisa

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • candie1971
    candie1971 Member Posts: 4,820
    edited March 2008

    Just for info...local libraries have classics on DVD or sometimes only VHS. Here where I live they are free for a week.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • PSK07
    PSK07 Member Posts: 781
    edited March 2008

    I practically lived at the library when I was a kid. Never, never without a book (or three). The trunk of the car always has some kind of reading material "just in case".

    My favorites were - Nancy Drew, Ellen Conford, Paula Danziger, Enid Blyton (the Five series), Maud Hart Lovelace (Betsy & Tacy), Phyllis Whitney, Judy Blume, Paddy Bear, Mrs Piggle-Wiggle (Betty MacDonald) and on and on.

    Going back and re-reading Pride and Prejudice or Sense & Sensibility is like visiting an old friend.

    Like shoes and purses, you can always find a book that fits. My favorite quote: When I have a little money, I buy books. If there is anything left, I buy food. (or something like that)

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • anneshirley
    anneshirley Member Posts: 1,110
    edited March 2008

    I just finished watching "Emma" on Masterpiece Theater.  Did anyone else watch it?  I know I saw this version before, but I think I liked it better this time, although they may have left some bits out.  The beginning went very quickly and a lot of scenes with Harriet, Mr. Elton, and Harriet from the book were missing; I wonder if they weren't in this film version originally or if they cut them for this showing. I liked Knightley.

    Emma is always a difficult character to like but I think Kate Beckinsale (sp) did a good job of making the audience warm to her at the end.  She starts to become more human at the end of the Box Hill scene and really warms up at the end, when she's gracious to Harriet and Robert Martin.  This scene is not in the book. Mrs. Elton is one of the great bitches in literature and the actress who played her carried it off.  I liked the chicken scene at the ending; very effective I thought. Not sure if I like the ending kiss, though.  So not Jane Austen, although I'm a bit of a purist.  Any other views?  

    I thought of two more books we could do:  "Bleak House" by Dickens which was shown a few months ago on Masterpiece Theatre--probably is available on Netflick.  I can check.  And the other is John Le Carre's "Smiley's People."  The latter is my favorite spy novel, and Alex Guiness did a great job of playing Smiley--also on Masterpiece Theater, but years ago.

    Anyway. if I don't get any votes, I'll just pick a book--I'm thinking "Jane Eyre" and put it up as a thread.  If enough people become involved in the discussion, then everyone in the discussion can suggest a book for the month of May (except me since I picked the first), and we can vote.  I don't think we'll need a moderator, just participation.  Does anyone object to Jane Eyre? 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • iodine
    iodine Member Posts: 4,289
    edited March 2008

    Tale of Two Cities is my fav. book of all time.  I've read it so many times I can almost quote it.  And yet, at each different time in my life, I've found something in it that affects me differently.

    I even named my last furbaby Dickens.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • LisaSDCA
    LisaSDCA Member Posts: 2,230
    edited March 2008

    Yes, Dotti, I wonder why A Tale of Two Cities is not on my list - I know it's been filmed once or twice. I first read it as a pre-adolescent and sobbed so much the pages rippled. Same with my copy of Gone With the Wind - from when Melanie dies until the end of the book, the pages are permanently spotted.Embarassed 

    Jane Eyre is fine with me. We're looking at the 1944 film with Fontaine and Welles, right, not the 1934 version? Guess I should go find your nw thread, right?

    Pam - yes, I'd forgotten all about Miss Piggle-Wiggle! Thanks for the memory nudge.

    Lisa

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • abbadoodles
    abbadoodles Member Posts: 2,618
    edited March 2008

    If you decide to do Jane Eyre, I think I can manage to reread it in a month.  There have been several movie versions of it and the one made for TV.  Was it Masterpiece Theater or Mystery?  PBS, at any rate.

    Tina

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • tomatojuice
    tomatojuice Member Posts: 382
    edited March 2008

    There are so many wonderful movies. Last year or so-been watching a lot of foreign films. Really loved"The sea Inside" Its about a paraplegic.Loved the way they filmed him walking and flying over the land in his dreams. Also liked the book "The Sea" . And enjoyed reading all of Cormac McCarthys books-especially "All the pretty horses".

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Paulette531
    Paulette531 Member Posts: 738
    edited March 2008

    tomatojuice...I love your name! I also LOVE tomato juice!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • anneshirley
    anneshirley Member Posts: 1,110
    edited March 2008

    I plan to put up the thread today.  I think any version of the film is fine, and even if you don't watch the film, just the book is fine too.  it would be interesting, even, to compare different versions and which ones we think are faithful to the book, which are not, and even why they're not.  I suppose some directors feel tastes change and make changes to the film version to conform to prevailing tastes, which I hate.  But they don't make the films for me!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Poppy
    Poppy Member Posts: 405
    edited March 2008

    Ahh... Caine Mutiny... not my type of movie at all but about 10 years ago I was on vacation at this amazing resort with a friend of mine and this movie came on. Outside the weather was amazing and the water was calling us but we were glued to the tv! I thought it was one of the best movies I'd seen.

    Love The Odd Couple too. There was a quote I used to love from that movie. Whoo-hoo! Imdb had it:

    Oscar Madison: I can't take it anymore, Felix, I'm cracking up. Everything you do irritates me. And when you're not here, the things I know you're gonna do when you come in irritate me. You leave me little notes on my pillow. Told you 158 times I can't stand little notes on my pillow. "We're all out of cornflakes. F.U." Took me three hours to figure out F.U. was Felix Ungar!

    Erica

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • anneshirley
    anneshirley Member Posts: 1,110
    edited March 2008

    I knew a man who was at the opening night of "The Odd Couple"--probably early 1970's and he went around quoting that line to anyone who would listen.  He said the audience roared.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • saluki
    saluki Member Posts: 2,287
    edited March 2008

    Hey --I was at the theater last night in downtown Philly---you guessed it--The Odd Couple!---And when that line came up the audience roared!

    Funny I could have sworn they went to a Chinese restaurant with the Pigeon sisters but it didn't happen in the play.  Did it happen in the movie?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • anneshirley
    anneshirley Member Posts: 1,110
    edited March 2008

    I don't remember it in the movie; I think maybe the TV series.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • saluki
    saluki Member Posts: 2,287
    edited March 2008

    Could have sworn that really weird noise that Jack Lemmon clears his throat with took place in a restaurant but I could just be linking Chinese food and restaurant.---very memorable noise that no one could make like Lemmon--a classic screen moment.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited March 2008

    Favorite movie?  I'm not sure.... I need to think about that more.

    Favorite book?  That one's easy.  I'm another To Kill a Mockingbird fan.  That's my all-time favorite for sure.  I was fascinated when I found out that Truman Capote was Harper Lee's real-life model for Dill.  It's makes so much sense - the image of Dill is exactly how I would envisage Truman Capote as a little boy. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • anneshirley
    anneshirley Member Posts: 1,110
    edited March 2008

    The nose thing happens in a diner that the two men frequent, so you've got it right, just wrong restaurant.

    We could do Mockingbird after Jane Eyre.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Raye99
    Raye99 Member Posts: 1,350
    edited March 2008

    Hitch's Rear Window and Vertigo with Jimmy Stewart.

    Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn.

    Books - these have mostly been repeated:

    All Nancy Drew (yellow covers) books; Trixie Beldon books (my dad would take me to Kmart once a week to buy a new book with my allowance and say "make it last more than one day.")

    Garden of Eden by Hemingway -

    Rebecca

    Anything by Scott Fitzgerald (I became so interested in the Fitzgerald saga, I have two biographies on Zelda - such a fascinating woman).

    The Hound of the Baskervilles

    Raye

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories