Yellowstone (1936)

Reading through our list of favorite films, I was struck by Bravados (1958). He’s the hand of justice. It’s so powerful, he just keeps going. It’s also funny, how the Joan Collins character can’t run away fast enough when she finds out Gregory Peck’s character had gotten married. She flees, before learning he’s a widower. It’s an incredible film, and one of my favorites 🙂

Moving/flowing on, written by Kris Kristofferson, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfjon-ZTqzU kept running through my mind, so, let’s listen to that before our next awesome thing 🙂

It’s one of those timeless classics 🙂

I adore the cosmic perfection of The Sun Sets at Dawn (1950) and may watch it again soon 🙂

Reading through our list of favorite films, I noted Ride Clear of Diablo (1954). It’s one of my favorite Audie Murphy films and I love the interplay between him & Susan Cabot in the film 🙂

I flowed on through the list, feeling why I had placed each entry – the incredible stories each told, stories that stirred the soul 🙂 Amazing stories, filled with power and emotion, laughter, tension, drama, romance, etc 🙂

So many incredible moments, actors, actresses, and character actors. I thought about naming some, but instead shall ask you to name some of yours, because, Bravados (1958) is on now! It’s the most powerful man on a mission story I’ve ever seen 🙂 Ah the modern age, where all of these fantastic things and more are at our fingertips 🙂

Moving on, wow, do I ever have the ultimate answer to the question of how to make a crime/drama film stand out amidst an infinite sea of similar films – set it at Jellystone National Park, well, okay, the real place. (What was the ranger, with Yogi and Booboo?) [Check this out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranger_Smith Ranger Smith!]

Plot: Hold onto something. A bank robber hid the loot in the park. His daughter, thinking he’d been in Australia, rather than prison like he really was, is set to finally see her father after 18 years – in the park. Wild things happen to say the least.

Cast:
Henry Hunter as Dick Sherwood
Judith Barrett as Ruth Foster
Andy Devine as Pay-Day
Alan Hale as Hardigan
Paul Harvey as Radell

The other key is to make the villain – haha, no spoilers here

I really enjoyed the film 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amaFlVfCN_A

What Price Crime (1935)

I returned to my/our list of favorite films, shows & what not & picked up where I had left off, basking in the awesomeness of each thing, feeling and appreciating them, one by one. Soaring ever higher, I had to watch the iconic theme for Hogan’s Heroes (1965) (TV Series) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onZm-1GjYdw It’s interesting, how our taste evolves with us, yet it remains one of my favorite things 🙂

It would probably be really boring for you, if I were to detail what I adore about the films and shows, that, and it would take a long time lol

I began, at/with the most recent entry on our, “Honorable mention,” list – Darby’s Rangers (1958) – and wondered why I had placed it there – the incredible scenes between Stuart Whitman and Joan Elan, they’re far and away the best romance I have ever seen on film/in anything. There’s another fantastic romance/story about growing up. I watched the scenes with their characters and am truly, and greatly enriched by the experience, so much so that I rate the film must see for those scenes alone. What’s that? It’s a war movie. It’s not that war films are a dime a dozen, but that’s why the film’s in, “Honorable mention,” rather than on/with the favorites 🙂

We never did get back to La Case De Papel (2017) (TV Series). The 4th season’s out now lol A 5th, and final season’s been ordered. I watched, and very much enjoyed the 1st season. Okay, right, I watched the original, Spanish version, with English subtitles. I’ll, maybe, keep an eye out for that, or not lol

The funny thing is, the Spanish version of the first episode of the fourth season’s playing now, and, I feel like I can follow along fine lol I very much prefer having the original dialog to this for some reason.

Moving on, it’s interesting, how many vintage police/crime/drama films were made, so much so that I had recently wondered how a film stands out in a seemingly infinite sea of similar films. What Price Crime (1935) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_z89EAHZBg does just that.

Plot: (From the video description) “A Federal agent is commissioned, along with several of his fellow-agents, to capture and put an end to a gang of thieves who have been systematically, using inside information, looting warehouses.”

Cast:
Charles Starrett as Allen Grey
Noel Madison as Douglas Worthington
Virginia Cherrill as Sandra Worthington

This is where the fun begins. Watching on my phone as I was, I had no idea, at first, that was the Durango Kid himself. He is quickly becoming my favorite early actor. It’s quite the fun role for him here and the banter/scenes between him and his leading lady alone make the film well worth watching.

Beyond that, it’s very straightforward, and I enjoyed it 🙂

Let’s close today with another incredible performance from Challenger 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1srPosUIio

Talk about go crazy folks. Does he ever soar! Man, he just keeps going, and going. The crowd goes wild, and rightly so. What an incredible flight 🙂

Different Day/A New Light

Having written this some time ago, it’s very much an introspective/retrospective 🙂

As for the title, I’m going to read through the list of films, shows, and things on our list of favorite films, and honorable mentions, and think about what I enjoyed about each of them 🙂 I mention this, because we are then going to revisit whatever stands out.

The earliest/original part of the list is in alphabetical order by star, beginning with Audie Murphy, who I far and away consider the most believable action star after. After all, he had lived it….

All the great character actors and co-stars, far too many to name, not to mention the directors. Comedies, action films, etc, that have brought us countless hours of cosmic level enjoyment 🙂

Audie Murphy made 3 films with Susan Cabot, my favorite of his leading ladies. How do I pick just Ride Clear of Diablo (1954) against the comedy of, right?! This film and that film.

So many great stars, so many incredible films, filled with 🙂 yeah 🙂

The scenes, the lines, the scenery, the triumphs, the adversity, the laughs….

So many great westerns. Right. 3 Godfathers (1948). I was astounded to read Hell’s Heroes (1930) has the same plot, making it the earliest, “3 men & a baby,” film I’m aware of, though I’m certain it goes back even further.

In Harm’s Way (1965) far and away stands out as my favorite war movie….

I could go on and on, naming this film and that, or, I could attempt to describe the cosmic, infinite bliss reading the list brings 🙂

Randolph Scott! Pinky ring and all, what could I say about my favorite star? “You’d do it for Randolph Scott!” says it all!!!!

The Tall T (1957) with Maureen O’Sullivan, probably my favorite of his films ~

Gasp. The Sharpe’s films!!! We of course have to listen to John Tams’ incredible live rendition of the theme song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_WoKrRycvQ It seems forever since we’ve seen, how many films are there? 16? 16 yes. I’d say we should watch them again, and we should, only having seen them twice as we have.

The 2 top comments say, “This song and the man who sings it are a major part of the reasons why the Sharpe series was so brilliant. And he was a perfect actor in the role of Hagman as well.” “John Tams will always be Hagman, chosen man of the 95th rifles.” I’ve read both many times, as the video’s in my YouTube playlist 🙂

I could expend a great many words describing the magic, and brilliance, of the Sharpe’s films. There, Dan Hagman, chosen man, does it for us 🙂 I love how he closes: “Look after one another.” 🙂

The 16 films are an ongoing, and ever building story as they spend the first 14 fighting the biggest threat the world had known to that point. Dan sings it in several of the films ~

My favorite of the M7 films – The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972). It’s different, and we know I love different!

Right. William Holden, and the magnificent films he made with Nancy Olson, my favorite of his leading ladies. 3 of their films are on our list….

Guy Madison! Dale Roberston!!

Oh wow Clash of the Titans (2010) and Wrath of the Titans (2012)….

Company of Heroes (2013)….

Django (1966)! My favorite Spaghetti western.

Rory Calhoun!!

Ben Johnson.

On and on, so many incredible films 🙂

The amazing Red Cliff films.

The Riddick films, far and away some of my favorite sci fi films.

The list goes on and on, Joel McCrea, Gregory Peck, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, Glenn Ford, Robert Taylor, Rod Cameron, George Montgomery, Jock Mahoney, Dana Andrews, Bogie, Bacall, Myrna Loy, Bing….

The TV series/those fantastic Russian shows… Battlestar Galactica (1978) (TV Series)….

The great fan films, the Uncharted video games….

The honorable mention films….

On and on, so many incredible films/things 🙂

Speaking of soaring ever higher, let’s go to the Fiesta Bowl, with Challenger! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf9Rl2XFxE4

🙂

I love how they’re all a little bit different 🙂

Amazons In Space

Our Gymkhana theme continues with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32I0Qso4sDg

I think it’s very much a case of, “Ken Block’s done everything cool there is with a car. Let’s do our own thing.” Thus, it’s Travis Pastrana’s take on it. Note the face he makes when airborne. With Block, it’s day at the office. Pastrana on the other hand, while flying over the canal lol

We see yet another Segway. Fun stuff, racing along country roads at 150 MPH. Go Speed Racer go.

Whatever shall we do next? To the time machine!

Before we journey off to/return to Oak Island, we have to hear the iconic Thin Lizzy song, The Boys Are Back In Town! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGZqDzb__bw

I love that comment, “Theres a big statue of Phi Lynott in Dublin, but none of Bono. Nuff said…..” I think, that more than summarizes how influential, Thin Lizzy is to this day. The statue’s in central Dublin, and it is large ~

What’s that? “How large?” you ask? https://peppermintdolly.com/2019/02/04/things-to-do-in-dublin-visit-the-philip-lynott-statue/ 🙂

As I write this, the top comment says, “For what it’s worth, my dad took me to see Queen at the L.A. Forum in ’77. I was 10. This band Thin Lizzy opened for them. I remember thinking, “Who is this Lizzy chick?!?” Then the lights went out, and “Jailbreak” began. I’ve never been the same.” Which of course answers the question of what is up next – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC6Cgb8nHwk

To Oak Island! (As the majority of this post was written some time ago lol)

Surprise, surprise, surprise, they are drilling lol I bet they find wood, and questions.

Oh, oh, the lady that pinpointed, “The Anchors,” is back! (Erin Helton)

Oh wow. She thinks the lead cross is a protractor/key. Interesting. She’ll be able to put an X on the ground. Exciting.

To the swamp!

Right. We know there’s something in the one corner.

So, they have literally found a road across the swamp. What in the world was going on there all those centuries ago?

So, they found a piece of a ship’s potbellied stove dating back to the early 1700s. It boggles the mind – what was going on there?

Well that was wild. Moving on, I very much enjoyed Star Maidens (1976) (TV Series). I never thought I would binge watch an Amazons in space story. That’s very much what it is. One of the things that really stand out is the growth the characters from Medusa (The Amazon world) go through. There’s a lot of great stuff going on in the series, brief as it is, and I enjoyed it 🙂

Ken Block’s Climbkhana TWO

Our, would you believe theme continues with, would you believe Leo Gordon wrote Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)? Or, that they made it lol What’s that? Weighing in at 3.7 on IMDB, I only watched a few minutes of it. It’s on YouTube if you are so inclined.

Moving on, the question becomes/is, how far back does the asteroid crashing into Earth story go? There of course is a Wikipedia page for that – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroids_in_fiction – which lists The Green Slime (1968) as the earliest film where an asteroid collides with a planet. Weighing in at 4.9 on IMDB, a review I read said, all’s well until the creatures show up. It’s available on DVD & YouTube if you’re curious. But hey, now we know. Sean Connery even made Meteor (1979). It weighs in at an even 5.0 on IMDB as I write this, making it the highest rated film we’ve read about, let alone seen of late. Let’s aim a little higher lol

I remember hearing Rob Word talk about the Golden Boot Awards, and ran across
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Boot_Awards I had the best time, reading the list of recipients and thinking about/of all of the awesome westerns we’ve seen them in. Note, The Duke was given 2 awards.

Moving on, would you believe Victor Mature, commanding a tank in the British Army, in North Africa? Either way, that’s the plot of No Time to Die (1958) aka Tank Force!

I’ll be back after I get in the time machine to see what the rest of this post’s about lol

To get back to Star Maidens (1976) for a moment. It’s interesting, how they progress as a society. The series ends, with, a greater understanding of their disparate sides. It hints at a balance in the offing, with equal opportunities for both sexes. The series just ends though, so we are left to imagine. I’d call it, quirky. Anyway.

Let’s soar over some fall colors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc29ut2DZfQ for a while 🙂 wide open spaces indeed 🙂

Oh wow. Check this out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX2uXBMkO8U as Ken Block visits China. It’s a mountain road, hence the Climbkhana rather than Gymkhana.

Look at the scenery 🙂

Panda on a Seqway lol Seqways have been featured in several of these videos.

The first Climbkhana was at Pikes’ Peak….

It’s interesting, how the concrete barriers are arranged, giving it the look and feel of the Great Wall 🙂

The views are spectacular to say the least 🙂

Pandakhana lol (Watch all the way to the end)

Star Maidens (1976) (TV Series)

The Incredible Petrified World (1959) weighs in at 3.1 on IMDB as I write this, which is certainly the lowest rated film I have ever reviewed lol Battle of the Worlds (1961) by comparison stands in at a beefy 4.3 lol I’m not saying I’ll watching anything lol but it’s interesting what catches my attention. Both of those films are really different and feature well-known actors in unusual roles which caught my attention. I may have seen, at least part of, Battle of the Worlds (1961) before, but I watched all of, and enjoyed both of them, which is all that matters 🙂 and I give them bonus points/praise them for making films outside the norm. I mean, why attempt to stand out in a sea of similar films when one can dare to be different? I would much rather watch different, and be entertained by a fresh idea 🙂 Scores of asteroid/impending doom stories and films followed in the wake of Battle of the Worlds (1961), but I don’t remember an earlier one. Wikipedia however, has a category for it – Rogue planets in fiction. It lists 22, and does not include asteroids. Based on a 1933 novel, When Worlds Collide (1951) is one of those films, which I enjoyed, and posted about, in 2019. Okay, so, that’s probably the earliest such film we’ve/I’ve seen. Said link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Rogue_planets_in_fiction mentions Star Maidens (1976) (TV Series) which I don’t recall ever seeing. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Maidens “A British-German science-fiction television series.” It goes on to detail the plot: “The series presents a “battle of the sexes” and role reversal scenario in which male protagonists must escape servitude to women of an advanced civilization. The planet Medusa, home to a highly evolved and technologically advanced humanoid race, was already ruled by its women when a rogue comet knocked it out of its orbit of Proxima Centauri. Drifting through space, the orphan planet’s surface became uninhabitable, and the inhabitants survived by building underground cities.” That certainly sounds different lol

You can tell where this is going. I have found the first episode lol It ran 13 episodes and is available on DVD. I found all but the first episode on YouTube. It’s said to be quite campy. I’ll let you know! What I will say is, the sets are quite detailed. It very much has the look, and feel, of Quark (1977) (TV Series), as in, like they were made by the same people/across the hall from one another lol

I give the show supreme bonus points for daring to be different. I can see why it didn’t last though. It’s reminiscent of Planet Earth (1974) (TV Movie), with John Saxon. Written by Gene Roddenberry, it was a pilot for a TV series that wasn’t picked up. It’s another female led society. It however takes the extra step of casting taller women and smaller men, which Star Maidens (1976) did not do. Whereas Planet Earth (1974) is set in the future, Star Maidens (1976) is set in contemporary times.

To give you an idea of where Star Maidens (1976) goes, here’s a line: “The illegal men’s liberation movement.” As I recall, the men rise up in Planet Earth (1974) and upset the status quo. The men, what few there are, in Star Maidens (1976), are depicted as being less than capable. It does however feature scientists on Earth & fun things like car phones.

In a nice touch, the second episode picks up where the first left off. I love ongoing stories, and, they’re even on location, somewhere quite scenic. I enjoyed it and will be watching more 🙂

Moving on, and soaring ever higher, let’s go to Wrigley Field, with Challenger! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cYQtsHwIW4

He lives it up again, and there’s Laura and Al as he makes another perfect landing. I love that incredible symbolism – the Challenger always making a perfect landing 🙂 he certainly does honor their memory 🙂

Battle of the Worlds (1961)

Battle of the Worlds (1961) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KElATDRObXM is up next!

Plot: It’s the classic tale of a/the celestial body on a collision course with Earth

Cast:
Claude Rains as Professor Benson
Bill Carter as Cmdr. Robert Cole
Umberto Orsini as Dr. Fred Steele
Maya Brent as Eve Barnett
Jacqueline Derval as Mrs. Collins

That’s right, the Invisible Man/Mr. “Round up the usual suspects,” himself. He plays quite the outrageous character, who eschews technology but is a brilliant scientist. From there it’s the classic case of who believes (or disbelieves) him and his radical ideas.

There’s something about B movies lol like this and The Incredible Petrified World (1959). An Italian film, it’s a different, and solid entry in what had become quite the popular genre. I enjoyed it 🙂

Moving on, would you believe Frank as an assassin? You know what Gomer would say, that however is the plot of Suddenly (1954).

Last, but not least, let’s soar with Challenger!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAvS6hflvDg

There he is, there he is, there he is!!!!!!

There he goes, there he goes!!!!! (I just love that incredible moment when he leaps into the air 🙂 )

He certainly enjoys his flight 🙂

The Incredible Petrified World (1959)

Here’s an interesting tidbit – 4 Nancy Drew films were made at the same time the Torchy Blane films were made. Speaking of interesting tidbits, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenia “Armenia first participated at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona under a unified CIS team, where it was very successful, winning three golds and one silver in weightlifting, wrestling and sharp shooting, despite only having five athletes.” Five athletes, won 4 medals 🙂 That’s awesome 🙂

Speaking of tidbits, check this out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor_of_Hollywood I had never heard of the, “Mayor of Hollywood,” let alone knew so many familiar names served in the honorary capacity.

Moving on, not only does The Strange Case of Doctor Rx (1942) feature Lionel Atwill cast against type/as a red herring, it also features Shemp Howard, get this, as a police officer. It’s quite the slapstick role and his character mentions not having a driver’s license. He didn’t drive in real life.

On to our feature – The Incredible Petrified World (1959). There’s nothing petrified about it – it’s a cave lol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tctoxv6M78

Plot (From the video description): “Four adventurers descend to the depths of the ocean when the cable on their underwater diving bell snaps.”

Cast:
John Carradine as Dr. Millard Wyman
Robert Clarke as Craig Randall
Allen Windsor as Paul Whitmore
Phyllis Coates as Dale Marshall

This is possibly the lowest rated film I have ever reviewed lol It’s different though, and I love different. Filmed at Colossal Cave, in Tuscon, it very much stands out amidst a sea of similar films. I not only watched all of it, but I enjoyed it 🙂

Moving on, these are my thoughts/comments from when I first watched the Challenger video from yesterday’s post, and today’s:

It dawned on me, that, in that last video, Challenger is at a Philadelphia Eagles game – eagle, at the Eagles’ game. I will however confess, I didn’t make the connection until https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gU3_tXcNg8 where Challenger’s at another Eagles’ game lol

Laura!!!

There he is, there he is!

The/his outdoor appearances are my favorite 🙂

And the slow motion as he lands 🙂

Man on Fire (1957)

It’s another impromptu post day today here at the lighthouse as I – gasp – ran across a Bing Crosby film we haven’t see in Man on Fire (1957). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhnr7UdBVjM

Cast:
Bing Crosby as Earl Carleton
Inger Stevens as Nina Wylie
E.G. Marshall as Sam Dunstock

It’s quite reminiscent of The Country Girl (1954) in that it’s incrediblly real and I can’t begin to express how much I appreciate their willingness to take on such a real subject. Not to keep using the word, “Real,” but that’s what comes to mind. Like The Country Girl (1954), it’s life, and again, here, in a very dramatic role, Bing shines. Beyond that, I’d get into spoilers lol

The description to the video says, “The interstellar Inger Stevens (age 22) in her first motion picture.” The title also caught my attention. Not that I’m going to call time machine, but, I thought I had searched for all of Bing’s later, leading roles.

It’s quite the film and well worth watching, particularly if you like tense/terse dramas.

In a completely different direction, up next we are off to Philadelphia to soar with Challenger!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pElnO6Gr5Mc

There’s Al & Laura 🙂

There he is, there he is!!!!!

YEAH!!!!!!!!!

Go crazy folks!

I love the view from Al’s chest 🙂

Captain Kidd (1945)

Hopefully you’ve seen The Sun Sets at Dawn (1950) by now, because thar be spoilers! It’s quite possibly the greatest story ever told, and an incredible story – one of tremendous faith and Law of Attraction 🙂 It was even more powerful the second time, watching it online rather than on my phone & I even noticed William ‘Bill’ Phillips in a brief role as an electrician. He’s one of those character actors that made everything better 🙂 I also I picked up on several things that I missed watching it on my phone.

As for The Big Sleep (1946), I’m even more confused after reading the plot lol

After reading the Wikipedia page on the film, the unanswered question is, how did chauffeur Owen Taylor end up in the car in the bay? There is no answer as not even novelist Raymond Chandler could answer the question. With that we are moving on! Speaking of which, here’s a fun bit, in The Terror from Beyond Space (1958), the line, “What about Bob?” is spoken, well before the Bill Murray film.

Sailing on, Captain Kidd (1945) is up next as we take to the high seas! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEQjqAEXHOQ

Plot: “In 1699, pirate William Kidd loots and destroys the English galleon The Twelve Apostles near Madagascar. He and three confederates bury the stolen treasure on a remote island.”

Cast:
Charles Laughton as Capt. William Kidd
Randolph Scott as Adam Mercy
Barbara Britton as Lady Anne Dunstan
John Carradine as Orange Povey
Gilbert Roland as Jose Lorenzo
John Qualen as Bartholomew Blivens
Abner Biberman as Theodore Blades
Ray Teal as Michael O’Shawn

Having heard Qualen use so many Scandinavian accents, it’s quite out of the ordinary to hear him not use one here, so much so that I have no idea what his normal voice sounds like….

Randolph Scott of course is fantastic and it’s the role that cemented Laughton in my mind as a villain. He had scores of other roles, won Best Actor for The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), and was married to Elsa Lanchester. He’s perhaps best remembered as Captain Kidd, by me anyway lol

This and other versions say, “Restored.” The video quality’s quite good. Here’s a fantastic quote from said link, “Laughton puts more power in a single line than most actors today can summon in an entire movie.” He certainly had a presence.

It even has a, “I see you’ve managed to get your shirt off,” scene where Randolph Scott returns/appears, sans shirt lol

Anyway, I enjoyed seeing it again 🙂 and rate it must see for fans of Randolph Scott and pirate films.