Appreciating classic film....

[Warped9]

I discovered TCM about a year or so ago and it may just have become my favourite and most frequented station. I love the format and I'm blown away by the airing of uncut, commercial free films seen in their entirety. It's a wonderful compliment to my own small yet slowly growing film collection of classic and contemporary movies.

When I was younger in my teens and twenties I didn't appreciate classic films so much. I was too caught up in the "here and now." But as I have gotten older I've grown to appreciate the glimpses into times before my own as well as the wonderful creativity and nuance of those films that I overlooked before. I've also been struck by the commonality of substance many of those films have with us today despite the differences in style and appearance. A case in point would be the '50s era films Patterns and Executive Suite wherein all the things we comment today about corporatism and such are all there in those movies. There really is very little new under the sun when we can see that folks of the past can still speak to us about our present.

And in some odd way those films speak to me unlike many contemporary works don't. I find many current films too noisy and hyperactive sometimes. The older films also seem more in accord with the times I grew up in during the '60s and '70s. And I appreciate the sense or aura of romance in those older films that often is lacking today. Today romance is really near indistinguishable from sex with a genuine lack of real sentiment and emotional intimacy. Bette Davis' Now Voyager really nailed that for me as well as Bogart's Casablanca and Clark Gable's Soldier of Fortune.

It's also interesting to see where many now familiar cliches and cultural references took root in the visual medium.

And the classic also offer an added perspective when assessing contemporary works.

 

[Warp Coil]

As a film major, I probably should have more love and respect for old classic films. Sometimes I have a really hard time with them, though, because a lot of the great classics have been cloned, copied, re-made and poked fun at by all the movies and TV shows that came later. A lot of the magic is lost for me, because when I watch a popular old film, instead of enjoying it for what it is, I just think about the re-makes or spoofs or rip-offs. I know the plot and I can guess how it'll end. It isn't fun or enjoyable.

Granted, it isn't always the case. There are some classics that are so good that I'll always love them.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

Well, I am in complete agreement with you, Warped9. My main TV is almost permanently set on TCM and I absolutely love classic film. I watch several films a week and collect classic film as well - both on commercial DVD and on DVD-R.

In fact, film collecting has become a huge hobby for me. I've been collecting films for about 4 years now and have 7,000+ on DVD or DVD-R, including many obscure titles.

What you were talking about - that 'there is nothing new under the sun' is very true. When I watch these films, I am continuously reminded of how little we have 'evolved', regardless of all of our technological advancements. In fact, I think in many ways we have DE-volved, to be honest with you.

Just the other night (on Henry Fonda Day) I watched The Best Man and was struck by how politics is pretty much the same now as it was then (the mid-60's) - backroom dealings, mudslinging, and sleaze.

Sad, really.

And films like All The King's Men (a Broderick Crawford picture from 1950) reinforce that as well.

When I watch many WWII era films, I am continuously reminded of how much our culture has changed (for the worse, I believe) when it comes to the idea of serving one's country. Back then, young men couldn't stand not being able to sign up for military service in WWII - it was an embarrassment to NOT sign up.

Now? Most American men (and women, for that matter) see the defense of this country as someone else's problem. Serving in the military is no longer seen as a duty - it's seen as a method of escape from a life of poverty or a way to go to college on the cheap.

I mean, can you imagine modern movie stars signing up for the military in time of war? Yeah...they are all willing to blab on and on about their 'views'...but none of them are willing to put their money where their mouth is. Actors like James Stewart, Clark Gable, Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, Tony Curtis, Leslie Howard (who actually died in WWII after being shot down by the Nazis over the English Channel) and many others never saw themselves as 'too important' to do military service. I mean, look at this list:

http://www.jodavidsmeyer.com/combat/military/actors_in_wwii.html

Quite an eye-opener, isn't it? Could you see any of these spoiled posers of today doing this? I can't.

In short, I think watching alot of classic film will, over time, serve to illustrate a stern contrast with today in the area of taking personal responsibility - for one's own actions or for the good of society as a whole.

As for romance - yeah, I agree with you. Now granted, the Production Code did alot to separate love from sex in film from the mid 1930's to the late 1960's, and if you watch alot of precodes you see more of an emphasis on the sexual component. But even then, sex was more in it's proper place than it is now.

But then, I think the culture of today is positively obsessed with sex in any event...so I'm not surprised. We live in a culture today where sex appears to be the single most important component in many people's lives - sex is no longer just a component of life - it is the defining force in many people's lives and way out of proportion to other important components of life.

I guess what I'm saying with all of this is that, while classic film illustrates that 'there is nothing new under the sun', the overall direction of society is moving in a negative direction. We have advanced technologically...but that is pretty much the only way we have advanced. And in many ways, our society has taken a step backwards - especially in the areas of personal responsibility, duty, and respect for others.

 

[Dayton Ward]

Turner Classic Movies is one of the few reasons I keep cable.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I don't watch Turner Classic Movies enough, but whenever I'm visiting my grandmother I always get a fix because that's her favorite channel (along with PBS and Discovery). I'm very thankful TCM exists because other movies channels not only have lots of commercials, but often repeat their showings in a certain period and the general selection is not nearly as good. AMC was once a wonderful channel along with TCM, but over the years it has become just like any other average crappy movie channel. A pity, really.

 

[TGTheodore]

I know TCM has had mini-Andy Hardy festivals, but have they ever shown all of them?

--Ted

 

[Cali]

I'm a just-graduated Film student and I think that the films we put into the "Classics" category are a world better than a lot of modern films. That's not to say I don't enjoy modern films, but today film makers go overboard with all the special effects at their disposal and lose sight of good story - something like Bringing Up Baby (one of my absolute favourite films ever) would either not get made today, or would get made in a completely different way and probably wouldn't be very funny.

I hate the trend of remaking classics or cult classics - there's a reason they have that status! (Although, if someone wants to do a remake of Citizen Kane then I'd welcome that, because I've never been able to sit through that film.)

I also hate the way the concept of 'the film star' has changed from the Classic Hollywood period to now, but that's another thread!

 

[Smiley]

The saying that 90% of everything made is crap is true for movies as well. Each year has a small percentage of truly wonderful films that deserve to be remembered. We don't all agree on which films they are, but it's obvious that there are more bad movies than great movies made each year. As time passes, the old bad movies tend to be forgotten or at least gain a nostalgia factor. The newer bad movies are still fresh in our minds.

I love a lot of older movies, and I also love movies made in the past decade. As long as I pick an enjoyable film to watch, I really don't care about the year in which it was produced.

 

[I Grok Spock]

I've been watching classic film (what we used to call "old movies") since I was a kid in the '70s. Of course, then it was usually monster, sci-fi, or horror flix. Then, sometime in my teens I got into drama and comedies, via the usual gateway drugs such as It's a Wonderful Life and Casablanca. TCM and the late, lamented AMC were a wonderful resource once the miracle of cable TV visited us.

While the world and how to live in it has changed there's much that hasn't (e.g. anyone building or buying a home should watch Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House). I understand PKTrekGirl's comment on "devolution", but I think these films also show what has changed or is changing for the better (e.g. portrayals of varing socio-ethnic groups).

Oh, and Myrna Loy was hot.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

I know TCM has had mini-Andy Hardy festivals, but have they ever shown all of them?

--Ted

If they haven't, they came pretty darn close last year in August, when Mickey Rooney was one of the stars featured in their annual August event, Summer Under the Stars - each day of August being devoted to the work of one star - 24 hours of films.

Last August Mickey Rooney was one of the stars featured, and I vividly remember them playing a ton of the Andy Hardy films. I don't know how many there are in total, but they played several.

I just checked, and I have 16 Andy Hardy films in my collection - all of them recorded from TCM....and no doubt many of them recorded last August.

 

[I Grok Spock]

I know TCM has had mini-Andy Hardy festivals, but have they ever shown all of them?

--Ted

According to the TCM search engine, looks like another marathon may be coming up September 8 - 11 or thereabouts. Starting with A Family Affair on 09/08/2008 06:00:00 AM. It appears they are not showing every one, skipping You're Only Young Once and Judge Hardy's Children. Not all of the others are shown in release order.

 

[Cali]

Also, in terms of old movie stars - Katharine Hepburn was gorgeous and captivating on screen throughout her career. Aside from older actresses who I love, such as Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters etc. I can't think of any younger actresses who grab me the way Hepburn grabs me.

 

[ToddPence]

Warped 9, you mentioned "Patterns" in your opening post. That's actually an example of classic television as opposed to classic film - as it was done for a TV anthology series. Classic television is something I'm an afficianado of.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

Warped 9, you mentioned "Patterns" in your opening post. That's actually an example of classic television as opposed to classic film - as it was done for a TV anthology series. Classic television is something I'm an afficianado of.

Are we talking about the same Patterns?

I assumed he was talking about the 1956 film with Van Heflin (who I happen to like quite a bit and so tend to notice). There is a 1987 CBS Summer Playhouse entry that is not the same thing at all.

 

[ToddPence]

Actually, we are talking about the same "Patterns", and yet we're not. The film "Patterns" is actually based on the original Rod Serling TV episode. I didn't know there was a film version until now.

 

[EnsignRicky]

First and foremost, I just love good movies, Thier age has almost nothing to do with it. I was blown away by All Quiet On The Western Front the first time I saw it, and this was after seeing Platoon and Glory, so I know I'm not jaded by modern cinema. An added bonus of watching older movies, is discovering all the classic moments that inspired the film makers of today; I remember when watching Citizen Kane, and at the end, when the camera is panning over his endless pile of stuff, I got the distinct impression that the warehouse scene from Raiders may not be as original as I always thought it was; Though an absolute classic in it's own right. To wrap it up, TMC? I've spent my fair share of time there.

 

[TGTheodore]

I know TCM has had mini-Andy Hardy festivals, but have they ever shown all of them?

--Ted

According to the TCM search engine, looks like another marathon may be coming up September 8 - 11 or thereabouts. Starting with A Family Affair on 09/08/2008 06:00:00 AM. It appears they are not showing every one, skipping You're Only Young Once and Judge Hardy's Children. Not all of the others are shown in release order.

Thanks! Are they actually showing Andy Hardy Goes Home, the one they tried ten years after the regular film series ended?

EDIT: Holy crap! They actually ARE showing it! I didn't think any prints existed.

--Ted

 

[PKTrekGirl]

^ They aired it last August also - that is when it entered my collection. Don't know if they've played it since...but definitely last August.

 

[Supernuke]

I love TCM! It actually is the reason why I love classic film. I never enjoyed them before a couple years ago one day, I just couldn't change the channel from TCM. They were showing an old Laurel and Hardy or something. Now I love all classic film. That channel is great!

 

[Warped9]

Warped 9, you mentioned "Patterns" in your opening post. That's actually an example of classic television as opposed to classic film - as it was done for a TV anthology series. Classic television is something I'm an afficianado of.

Are we talking about the same Patterns?

I assumed he was talking about the 1956 film with Van Heflin (who I happen to like quite a bit and so tend to notice). There is a 1987 CBS Summer Playhouse entry that is not the same thing at all.

I am referring to the '56 film with Van Heflin. And I thought it was a great movie. Robert Osborne's intro mentioned that it was written(?) by Rod Serling.


One of the odd things I've noticed about some early sound films from the late '20s and into the '30s is how oddly flat the actors sound. By that I mean they often don't appear to have much inflection or range of emotion in their speech. And some are of these are quite good actors. I don't know enough about the audio tech of the era, but I suspect it tended to flatten the actors voices as well as perhaps make some of them sound higher pitched.