"Vertigo" on the Big Screen

So we venture out last night to watch Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo" (1958) on the Big Screen.  First of all, kudos once again to Turner Classic Movies and Fathom Events for presenting this series.

Some quick thoughts and a question....

• I have seen "Vertigo" many times, but this was the first time on a big screen in a movie theater.  Huge flat screen high def televisions and Blue-ray discs are great, but, trust me, any movie is better in an honest-to-God movie theater.
• There are some film scholars and critics who will tell you that "Vertigo" is the greatest movie ever made, and certainly Hitchcock's greatest movie.  Yeah, it's a good movie, but I personally would rate "Rear Window", "Notorious", "Psycho", and "To Catch A Thief" ahead of it in the Hitchcock canon alone.
• A measure of how great an actor James Stewart was can be seen in "Vertigo".  In the beginning of this movie, he mostly plays "Jimmy Stewart", but as the movie progresses, he goes against type, and becomes sort of weird and not all that likable, but it is totally believable.

• Kim Novak sure was beautiful.

• The character I feel really bad for is the one played by Barbara Bel Geddes.  A great performance by her.

• The "green scene" in the hotel room between Stewart and Novak, and if you've seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about, is a spectacular piece of film making.

• Perhaps the best "character" in this movie is the City of San Francisco.  As much as anything else, I enjoy watching this movie for the location scenes of that city throughout.

Okay, now for the question for those who have seen this movie.  You all know how it ends and the final shot of the movie (I'll say no more so as to avoid spoilers.)  If Hitchcock hadn't ended the movie where he did, what would have happened next?

Coming in May in the TCM Big Screen Classic series....."Sunset Boulevard".  Can't wait to see that one on a Big Screen.

"Rear Window" On The Big Screen

What a treat we had last night at the Cinemark North movie theater.  Thanks to the folks at Turner Classic Movies and Fathom Events, we were able to see one of our favorite movies,

as it was "meant to be seen", on  a big screen in a movie theater.

Now we have seen this movie literally dozens of times over the years, but never, not once, on a big screen, and let me tell you, as nice as DVDs Blue Ray discs, and big flat screen HD televisions are, there is nothing quite like seeing a movie on the big screen.

The images are bigger (of course), the colors are brighter, and the details are so much clearer.  For example, as many times as we have seen this, I swear that we never noticed the apartment dwellers to the upper right of James Stewart's view that had the little girl.  Also, all of the people that appeared in the background walking on the street that fronted the apartment building across the courtyard, seemed more vivid and noticeable.  

If you don't know the story of "Rear Window", James Stewart played L.B. Jeffries, a news photographer who, as a result of a severely broken leg, is confined to a wheelchair in his small New York City apartment.  With no TV to distract him, he spends his time observing his neighbors across the courtyard from his rear window view.  Most of it is pretty boring stuff -  a chorus girl practices her dance moves and fights off ardent suitors, a lady does strange sculpture, a song writer struggles to come up with the right tune, a newlywed couple, a salesman with an invalid wife, and a lonely spinster.  All pretty mundane stuff, until Stewart suspects that something strange just may be going on in that salesman's apartment directly across the courtyard.

Stewart has a hard time convincing his girlfriend, played by Grace Kelly, and his homicide detective friend, played by Wendell Corey, that what he thinks happened actually happened, and how it all plays out makes this one of Alfred Hitchcock's most suspenseful movies, and, personally speaking, my favorite Hitchcock movie.  Also of note in this movie were the performances of Raymond Burr as the salesman and Thelma Ritter as Stewart's wisecracking visiting nurse.

The screenplay by John Michael Hayes, based upon a short story by Cornell Woolrich, makes lots of interesting observations on the nature of "rear window ethics" and the very private nature of what goes on behind the closed doors of your neighbors that make this a thought provoking movie on several levels.

"Rear Window" was released in 1954, and was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Hitchcock for Director and Hayes for Screenplay.  It didn't win any Oscars, but that takes nothing away from this movie.  If you've never seen it, you're missing out on a terrific thriller of a movie.  Also, try to seek out the Woolrich story upon which this movie is based.  Depending on your definition, it is either a long short story or a short novel.  It has been anthologized often and is not hard to find.  Woolrich wrote it under the pseudonym of "William Irish" so you may have to search out that name to find it.

Last night's screening also included filmed introductory and closing comments from TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, which added to the enjoyment of the movie.  I hope that TCM and Fathom continue to do screenings like this in the future.  It really is a treat to see these movies in a real movie theater.

Finally, a word about Grace Kelly.  Really, has there ever been a more beautiful actress to grace the screens of Hollywood?  She would certainly be in the Top Five of any such discussion. 

DVR Alerts with Emphasis on Hitchcock

Some DVR Alerts for this upcoming weekend on Turner Classic Movies.  All times Eastern.

Saturday, September 14:

8:00 PM:  "Lifeboat" (1944) Alfred Hitchcock's story of survivors on a lifeboat after their ship was torpedoed by  a German U-Boat.  Wait 'til you see how Hitch works his cameo into this one.

12:00 AM (technically, Sunday morning): "Titanic" (1953)  No, not the James Cameron, Leo DiCaprio blockbuster of a few years ago, but a black & white soap opera-ish story that stars Clifton Webb, Barbara Stanwyck (an actress whom I have really come to appreciate thanks to TCM), and a very, very young Robert Wagner.  (By the way, I think that Clifton Webb played the same character in every movie he ever made; only the names were different.)  The special effects in this one are pretty good, actually.  Spoiler Alert: The boat does sink in the end.

Sunday, September 15:

8:00 AM: "King Kong" (1933)  You all know the story.  If you've never seen the original, you simply have to do so.  And if it's been awhile since you've seen it, or even if you've seen it recently, watch it again.  All kidding aside, Fay Wray really was beautiful, and this movie has one of the greatest final lines in the HISTORY of movies.

There then follows a whole gaggle of Hitchcock movies on Sunday:

11:15 AM "The Trouble With Harry" (1955)  A dark comedy about rather inconvenient dead body.  This was Shirley MacLaine's first movie, and it also starred a very young Jerry Mathers.

1:15 PM: "Family Plot" (1976) This was Hitchcock's last movie.  To be honest, I saw it when it was released, have never seen it since, and can't recall if it's very good or not, but it's worth seeing because it's Hitchcock's Last Movie, for god's sake!

3:30 PM: "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1956)  James Stewart, Doris Day, the Royal Albert Hall, a sea of umbrellas, and "Que Sera, Sera".   Not one of my all-time favorites, but worth seeing at least once.

5:45 PM: "Vertigo" (1958) James Stewart and Kin Novak.  Many consider this the Best Movie Ever Made.

8:00 PM "Rear Window" (1954)  James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Wendell Corey, and Raymond Burr.  Wheelchair bound Stewart witnesses a crime while observing his neighbors through his rear window.  Or does he?  Personally, this is my favorite Hitchcock movie.  I've seen it dozens of times and watch it at least once a year.  Has there ever been an actress as beautiful as Grace Kelly?

10:00 PM:  "To Catch a Thief" (1955)  Cary Grant and Grace Kelly on the French Riviera.  Grant plays a famous "retired" cat burglar who must get back in the game in order to save his reputation.  Don't ask, just watch.  It's fun and how can you resist the charms of Grant and Kelly.  In this one, they make fireworks - literally!

More good stuff on TCM later in the month, but this should keep you occupied for awhile!

Enjoy!

The Jimmy Stewart Museum

What do you do on a rainy Monday morning when you have absolutely nothing on your calendar for the day?  Marilyn and I decided to take a drive to Indiana, PA and visit The Jimmy Stewart Museum.  As most probably know, Stewart is a native of Indiana, and in 1995, the town opened a museum dedicated to Stewart and his remarkable career.  Hey, who doesn't love Jimmy Stewart?

The museum is housed on the second floor of the Indiana Public Library, and it has all sorts of Stewart memorabilia, including posters and summaries of all of his movies.  There is a small theater within the Museum that does show Stewart movies on weekends.  The theater also has a 45 minute documentary on Stewart and, since we were the only visitors this afternoon, we were able to see it "on demand".  The movie is worth seeing if you visit the Museum, and if you are a Stewart fan, you really should visit this place.

Unfortunately, you cannot take pictures inside the Museum, so I don't have a lot of good photos of the day, but you are able to get your picture taken with one of Stewart's favorite co-stars, and I took advantage of the opportunity:

We did sign the guest book, and it was interesting paging through it.  There have been visitors to the Museum in little old Indiana, PA from all over the country, and I even saw signatures from Brazil and the United Kingdom.  

As I said earlier, who doesn't love Stewart?  On my list of Movies I Would Take With Me If I Was Stranded On A Desert Island, there are two of Jimmy's movies: "Rear Window" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence".  

Which ones would you pick?