Buy Old Movies

Buy Old Movies WC Fields Biography

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 06:03:52 -0400

Buy Old Movies WC Fields Biography - Part 1 - Video Clip

I remember watching the broadcast of “Strait Up” - the biography of WC Fields - narrated by Dudley Moore on TV a number of years ago.

In my last post there was an embedded link to a YouTube video clip showing WC Fields Juggling. It’s funny because I had no idea that if I had clicked on the bottom of the screen (after the juggling clip was finished) that there were a whole series of WC Fields clips including several from “Strait Up” - right on my OWN blog…

Duh…

It’s pretty obvious I am going to have to contract with one of my children or grandchildren to handle the ‘tech stuff’ for me.

In any event, if you haven’t watched his biography, watch Part 1. Follow the link at the beginning of this post.

it’s good stuff and lots of fun. I’d love to give credit to whomever put these clips up at YouTube but I haven’t figured out how to identify them yet. Just the same, we are all better for it. And whomever you are, please receive our collective thanks.

Laughter Is A Component Of Good Health

It’s becoming more clear as life moves faster and faster that laughter is one of the primary components of good health.

My Sifu always used to say to us, “If there is no laughter, there is no truth.”

Most of us in the baby boomer generation don’t laugh enough and we often take oursleves too seriously - myself included.

Have a little more fun and laugh everyday.

I can’t remember who told me this about 15 years ago, but that person said,

“The Japanese believe that you need to do three things every day to be healthy. You need to sweat, you need to yell and you need to laugh.”

By the way, I do remember that the quote came from a non Japanese, and I realize now that I never have validated that quote from any of my Japanese friends. But it seems to fit…

Get happy - laugh more.

Buy Old Movies WC Fields Biography, watch this and get your own copy for your grandkids. Otherwise, they may not ever have the chance to see this genius in action.

W. C. Fields with Mae West in My Little Chickadee Some of the...

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 10:35:29 -0400

W. C. Fields with Mae West in My Little Chickadee

Some of the funniest, fast moving dialog and banter. What fun…

Buy Old Movies - WC Fields

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 10:14:31 -0400

Buy Old Movies WC Fields

It’s hard to remember when I didn’t appreciate WC Field’s humor. A couple his tongue in cheek quotes come to mind…

“Anyone who hates kids and dogs can’t be all bad.”

and another…

How do you like children Bill?

“Fried or parboiled.”

There’s an embedded video link further down (that I found on You Tube) where you can watch WC Fields Juggling as the Great McGonigle.

He was a marvelous juggler from his Vaudeville days.

His characters are always lovable and kind in spite of the bravado and the showmanship. There is an underlying sense of justice and integrity that shines through the slapstick and the antics - which are masterfully orchestrated and executed.

Dictionary.com defines sacrilegious as “grossly irreverent toward what is or is held to be sacred”. In terms of WC Field’s disdain for the socially pompous and the ‘self righteous element of his day’, he was definitely and intentionally sacrilegious.

WC Fields was not politically correct and I don’t think he would be today. He might make Dennis Miller look like a powder puff by comparison.

At least that’s my interpretation.

He was a master of exaggeration and used the platform of comedy and slapstick to consistently take shots at those who do not walk their talk.

We all would like to do the kind of things he did on screen, but are afraid to in real life.

Who wouldn’t want to kick Baby Leroy (an obnoxious 2 year old who had just dropped his pocket watch into a bowl of molasses at the dinner table) in the rear end when no one was looking.

or looking for “Road Hogs” so that WC could eradicate them from the highways for the benefit of society

and so many other examples.

WC Fields Sense Of Humor Is Timeless and Universal

Somehow I understood his sardonic and dry approach to ridiculing the ridiculous at a very young age.

I remember watching him juggle the first time. I was glued to the screen.

The characters he creates on screen like Egbert Souse, henpecked husband and layabout; Larson E. Whipsnade, circus owner; juggler Eustace McGargle, and the Great McGonigle

display both sides of human nature - both devil and angel.

Yet you always understand why you empathize with both aspects.

Definitely a classic and a master and obviously brilliant. One of the finest film comedians of all time.

Buy old movies WC Fields.

WC Fields was a amazing juggler see for yourself in this video...

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 09:50:10 -0400

WC Fields was a amazing juggler see for yourself in this video clip I found on You-Tube.

This is “The Great McGonigle” performing. He timing and showmanship skills were refined in Vaudeville. Watching him perform physically always gives me the sense that I was in the presence of a master.

I remember the first time I saw this segment, I was around 8. Back them, they still had WC Fields movies on tv fairly regularly. And every time he was on, I made every effort to watch.

As I grew older they often had combined WC Fields - Marx Brothers festivals in Berkeley Ca. I remember one time they played them for three days straight - a marathon - one right after the other.

Lots of fun…

This video brings back many fond memories and seeing it reminds me how much I respected and admired this man’s talent in spite of his faults and weaknesses.

He was a great man in his own right. He made it easy for us to laugh at ourselves and to laugh at adversity.

Buy old movies WC Fields comedy collection.

Really Fun Japanese Movies

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 08:46:54 -0400

Really fun Japanese movies…

by Gwyer Maitland

I’m a big Kurosawa fan but over the course of my Hollywood Video rental rampage in Seattle, I discovered a bunch of really fun Japanese movies.

Today is incredibly busy for me so here is a quick note about my two favorites:

“Tampopo”

The first - and my favorite - is called “Tampopo” - a comedy about a Japanese noodle shop. It is touching, engaging and totally enjoyable.

Kind of a cross between a “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” and a Clint Eastwood flick…

Bad analogy…

Interestingly enough Ken Watanabe is in it and I never realized this until today. When I watched “The Last Samurai”, he seemed familiar but I didn’t make the connection - out of context.

He plays an interesting offbeat character with a lot of ‘art’ thrown in.

Side Bar:

By the way, this is also the movie that created an urge in me to hunt down me a fantastic noodle shop in Seattle. I am now a bonafide noodle freak.

If you’re ever in Seattle, go to Judy Fu’s Snappy Dragon about two exits north of the University in the Maple Leaf district.

Best noodle soup around - my favorite is the Szechwan Noodle Bowl.

Yum…

It truly is a delightful movie. My other favorite is:

“A Taxing Woman”

This is about a tax auditor on special assignment to catch a wealthy corporate executive who is a tax evasion expert.

Although the topic of taxes makes me nauseous in real life, this is really a fun movie.

That’s it for today…

You should watch really fun Japanese movies, you’ll love the playful Asian approach to humor.

Why I Buy Old Movies

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 22:55:57 -0400

Why I Buy Old Movies…

It dawned on me as I awoke this morning where my love for old movies started. And I had completely forgotten about this for over 45 years…

In 2nd grade, I used to ride an AC Transit bus from College and Ashby in Berkeley to University and Shattuck. It was the 51 line.

From there I walked about half a block and went into the restaurant where my mom was a waitress. I sat down in the back room where there was a movie projector and watched all kinds of old black and white movies - mostly comedies. Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, WC Fields and old cowboy movies and John Wayne flicks too…

Maybe it was the laughter. Maybe it was the vanilla milkshakes - extra thick. Maybe it was the kindness of the staff. But I realized this morning that I fell in love with old movies in 2nd grade.

Thinking back, I can’t remember when I wasn’t an old movie buff. Even as a kid, I watched at least two movies a week. As I think about it there was “Tuesday Night at the Movies”. There were movies on Saturday night at 9:00 and again at 11:00 p.m.. There were Sunday morning and Sunday night movies.

There were also weekday daytime movies everyday primarily geared to housewives at the time. One of the shows that ran for a number of years in the S.F. bay area was “Dialing For Dollars,” the very same one in the Janis Joplin song, “Dialing for Dollars is trying to call me.”

I remember the host, Pat McCormick…

This may sound kind of silly if you are not familiar with the era I’m talking about, but this is pre-internet and pre-cable tv.

Anyway, I watched a lot of movies on TV, in addition to the double features and a cartoon at the local theaters that we frequented as kids.

Fast forward to 2007…

Often there is a nostalgia and a sense of seeing an old friend when I watch these movies. Just this morning, I found a video clip of Laurel and Hardy at the official website - even at 38 seconds it made me laugh.

Watch it under comedy.

Why not start a family night with the kids and grandkids? Start a fun and purposeful collection than can become part of the family legacy for generations to come - buy old movies .

The fabulous team of Laurel and Hardy…

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 12:54:55 -0400

The fabulous team of Laurel and Hardy…

Laurel and Hardy Film Clips

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 10:59:59 -0400

Here are a series of Laurel and Hardy Film Clips from the official Laurel and Hardy website. It was really fun finding these old clips. I hadn’t seen these guys in about 20 years.

This one is from the 1932 classic County Hospital.

County Hospital

==========================================

Here are two Laurel and Hardy film clips from: “The Music Box”…

These are both under a minute…

#1) The Music Box

#2) The Music Box 2

======================================

And yet another from a silent movie…

Should Married Men Go Home

======================================

For more fun, here is the official Laurel and Hardy website:

www.laurel-and-hardy.com

===================================================

If You Like These Clips You Can Get Your Own Copy of The Full Length Versions:

You can get both the Music Box and County Hospital on one dvd and here is the description:

Five Laurel and Hardy flicks…

First: “Sons of the Desert” (1933),

Stan and Ollie attend a lodge convention against the wishes of their wives and get into trouble.

Next there are four shorts:

“The Music Box” (1932), where the pair struggle to deliver a piano to a hilltop house;

“County Hospital” (1932) has Stan visiting a laid-up Ollie in the hospital…with predictable results.

“Another Fine Mess” (1930), in which the boys hide out from the cops in a mansion;

“Busy Bodies” (1933) finds them making sawdust of a lumber
company

Laurel & Hardy, Vol. 1

Have fun…

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara 1952

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 03:17:20 -0400

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara 1952

The Quiet Man

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 03:13:17 -0400

by Gwyer Matiland

The Quiet Man is a story about an American boxer who returns to his grandparents old home in Ireland to settle down and live a quiet life.

This picture was nominated for best picture in 1952.

John Houston wanted to make this film, but Republic pictures told him that nobody wanted to see a movie about Ireland. So they struck a deal. If Houston could produce a western film that made Republic money, they would authorize the Irish movie.

Houston did just that and made Rio Grande with John Wayne in 1950 which was a financial and cinematic success.

The Quiet Man depicts the life in a small town in Ireland. The film is about the old ways, rich with tradition, simplicity and beauty - interwoven with a quaintness.

The cinematography is exceptional.

And it is a warm and exceptional cast including John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Ward Bond, Barry Fitzgerald, Victor McLaglen. There is a closeness between the actors and the local community that comes through. The cast’s sincerity is evident in their appreciation of the people, the place and being able to work on such an enjoyable and positive film. This is magnified by the love of their Irish heritage.

Many of the local people in the small town were used as extras in the movie, as well as John Ford’s older brother, Francis Ford.

It’s a beautifully executed movie and the character development is excellent. It is a charming story and very well received by the American public.

Wayne made 22 movies with Ford and this movie, in my opinion, this is my favorite.

The Quiet Man belongs in your film library.

Technorati profile

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 15:07:14 -0400

Technorati Profile

If I Had A Million - 1932Director: James Cruze

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 09:34:26 -0400

If I Had A Million - 1932
Director: James Cruze

If I Had A Million

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 08:54:51 -0400

by Gwyer Maitland

If I Had A Million is a very funny look at the common man. It was made in the midst of the great depression in 1932. The story is about a dying millionaire who decides to give his millions away to strangers rather than the rotten people in his family.

He chooses people randomly to each receive a million dollars.

The story unfolds a series of film shorts where we meet each of the recipients living their normal day to day life prior to receiving their money. We are shown enough for each to get a feel of the kind of people they are - their strife, their struggles, their kindness and their fool-heartiness.

The film must have provided a sense of relief to those who watched it when it came out in 1932. In that context, I think laughter truly is the best medicine.

The first time I watched If I Had A Million…

The first I saw this film, I was around eleven years old.

At that time, there were basically only 3 primary television channels. On Saturday nights, there was a late movie that came on at 11:00 p.m. every week. Even at that age, I loved watching movies and often
did on the weekends.

I just happened to be looking for a movie to watch when it came on with no idea what to expect.

About 15 minutes into the movie, my mom got out of bed and said,”what’s so funny? You woke me up with your laughing.”

We sat and laughed together at the well executed humor throughout the rest of the movie.

Not only is the dialogue clever, the situational comedy exemplifies just how people do things in real life giving viewers a chance to laugh at themselves vicariously and to laugh at life in general.

Most of the shorts are above average. The acting and screen writing is a lot of fun.

WC Fields stars in one of the segments, and I think this may be the movie that got me stuck on his humor. I honestly don’t remember because I have been a WC Fields fan for so long, but his segment is terrific.

Charlie Ruggles is hilarious too.

Rather than spoil your experience, with my description of the humor, watch If I Had A Million yourself and enjoy it personally.

I have been looking for this movie for a long time and only recently came across its availability. I had actually tried to rent it Seattle, Montana, Pennsylvannia, New Jersey and Atlanta and have not been able to find it in inventory.

One time, in 1990 a friend of mine called me from LA to let me know it was available there. Interestingly enough, her brother in law’s dad was Harpo MArx, but that’s another story. For one reason or another, that connection did not work out.

If I Had A Million is one going into my collection because I ordered it this morning…

Get you own copy of If I Had A Million

It’s a keeper.

Akira Kurosawa on set in 1980

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 18:01:39 -0400

Akira Kurosawa on set in 1980

Kurosawa Films

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 17:52:23 -0400

Kurosawa Films are some of the best movies of any era or genre.

There are so many good titles, it’ll take some time to discuss them all. Akira Kurosawa is one of my all time favorite film makers - and that’s saying something because I like a bunch of them.

Just today I wrote an article about Kurosawa Films on ezinearticles.com that will be live a few days.

Of the top of my head, my favorite movies of his are:

Dreams
Sanshiro Sugata
The Seven Samurai
The Stray Dog

I really love “Dreams” that he made in the 80’s. It was a series of shorts each presented as a myth or a fable. Really cool use of art mixed with story telling - and it was done with state of the art technology at the time.

And of course, The Seven Samurai is one of the all time classic films. We watched it again about two weeks ago.

In the past I’ve watched all the Kurosawa films I could find - most of them at least twice, some four or five times. With the advent of this blog, we’ll watch them all again as a refresher.

We’d like some feedback about what old films you like - which directors, which actors and why.

This blog may turn out to be a lot of fun.

As afar as this tumblr goes, this is brand new for me - so please forgive the learning curve with all this web 2.0 stuff…

Buy Old Movies

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 23:54:12 -0400

When you buy old movies you can watch a piece of history before your eyes, literally.

We love old movies - it’s more than a hobby, it’s an artistic aspect of who we are.

The medium has always been fascinating to me because it’s more interactive than books - although we’re big readers too. I’ve never understood how we can experience the actual energy of the actors - the emotion, the psychological implications and the physical experience through digital data or a projector.

Pretty cool though…

We’ve been movie buffs for a long time. So we’ve decided to play with something we love in a blog - so we can share our favorites and get feedback about your favorites too.

We’ll put together a great selection of movie reviews of our favorite flicks and create our own evaluation scale. We may make mistakes here and there as we learn how to interact through this technology.

But we’ll get it down and with your feedback and input, we’re going to have a blast sharing stuff we really like with really interesting visitors and participants.

We’re pretty much going to stick with old movies on dvd, I think. Although that may change - who knows how technology may change in the next five years.

We’ll create categories of old movies, movie reviews, blog the favorites and have fun and even a way to watch and buy old movies.

Here are two of my favorites:

If I Had A Million

The Quiet Man (Collector’s Edition)

Look forward to lots of fun together,

Gwyer Maitland