The Petrified Forest (1936)

Porter Hall and William Powell in THE THIN MAN (1934)

Ace in the Hole (1951) Billy Wilder

May 28th 2023

@tcmparty live tweet schedule for the week beginning Monday, August 29, 2022. Look for us on Twitter…watch and tweet along…remember  to add #TCMParty to your tweets so everyone can find them :) All times  are Eastern.

Monday, Aug. 29 at 8:00 p.m. THE THIN MAN (1934) A husband-and-wife detective team takes on the search for a missing inventor and almost get killed for their efforts.

Saturday, Sept. 03 at 8:00 p.m.    DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944) An insurance salesman gets seduced into plotting a client's death.                                                                             

The back of this publicity still reads D-Col-48-345 – Regis Toomey, Frank Jenks, Helen Mack, Rosalind Russell, Porter Hall, Roscoe Karns, and Cliff Edwards in a scene from Columbia’s “His Girl Friday.”

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The Petrified Forest

The Petrified Forest (1936) starring Leslie Howard , Bette Davis , Genevieve Tobin, Humphrey Bogart Synopsis of The Petrified Forest In The Petrified Forest, Oscar-winner Humphrey Bogart stars as Duke Mantee, an escaped convict who holds customers hostage at a remote desert diner. (more…)

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Porter Hall - Clockwatching

Bad movie I have Miracle on 34TH Street 1947

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Miracle on 34th Street will have the most influence during the Christmas season but even a bright summer day couldn't hinder this story’s impact, its lush characters, infectious sentiments of joy and hope, or its pitch-perfect ending. This movie effortlessly washes away any kind of cynicism you may have about Christmas without using any cheap sentiments.

When the actor hired to play Santa Claus during the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is found drunk, Doris Walker (Maureen O’Hara) persuades a jolly old man (Edmund Gwenn) to replace him. He does such an outstanding job that he is hired to play Santa at Macy’s flagship New York City store on 34th street. His performance is in every way exemplary but when Kris claims to be the real Santa Claus, eyebrows are raised.

The heart of the story concerns Doris, her daughter Susan (Natalie Wood), their neighbor Fred (John Payne) and Kris. Their tale is a microcosm of everything else we see. Working in a field almost entirely governed by men, combined with her divorce from Susan's father (never seen in the film) has made her cynical. Her daughter has followed suit. Even if you never believed in Santa, Susan's lack of faith breaks your heart. In this story, that belief is more than a childhood fantasy. It's a stand-in for hope, kindness and love. It’s clear that Fred loves Susan like a daughter and that he and Doris are attracted to each other. As long as Susan doesn’t believe that Kris is the real deal, as long as the people at Macy’s think he’s a loon, and as long as we don’t believe he is the real Santa Clause, then the family-to-be will not happen. If they can’t get together, then there is no room for happiness in this world.

What begins as an amusing tale about the holidays becomes so much more. In a completely organic and earnest fashion, the movie goes on to ask some profound questions about belief. In a higher power, yes, but mostly about how much we can accept something without physical proof. When the question of Kris’ identity blows up and the whole world begins looking for a concrete answer, you don’t know what’ll happen next. You want with all your heart for something to prove that Kris is the real thing. There’s no way it’ll happen because you and I both know there is no such thing as Santa Clause... but what if? It would mean so much if by some miracle things went the way we want them to. He’s such a kind of man. He’s so good at what he does. What’s the harm in indulging in a bit of fantasy?

On paper, Miracle on 34th Street does not sound possible. Explaining to someone why this film feels so important is a struggle. It makes the results that much more special. I'll credit the success to the pitch-perfect ending, script and most importantly, the cast. All the actors work off each other so well. The romantic leads have excellent chemistry - and it’s obvious from their first scene together, which makes you extra excited to see where things will grow with them. Edmund Gwenn is simply perfect as Kris. Every actor who ever chooses to play Santa Claus will be compared to him. All of the side characters are given little moments that make them feel alive. Everyone feels real, even the people who seek to burst the bubble.

Even if you know how Miracle on 34th Street ends, the film enchants you, it sweeps you into its emotions. This is a wonderful film.  There is no one I wouldn’t recommend it to, particularly around the Holiday season. (On Blu-ray, December 21, 2019)

Ace in the Hole

directed by Billy Wilder, 1951

if you're not watching The Power, then what are you doing?

some of the amazing Google Reviews I've read for it below

Porter Hall (September 19, 1888 – October 6, 1953) #WhatACharacter

His Girl Friday (1940) Howard Hawks

January 24th 2023

@tcmparty live tweet schedule for the week beginning Monday, December 26, 2022. Look for us on Twitter…watch and tweet along…remember to add #TCMParty to your tweets so everyone can find them :) All times are Eastern.

Saturday, Dec. 31 THE THIN MAN Double Feature

8:00 p.m. THE THIN MAN (1934) A husband-and-wife detective team takes on the search for a missing inventor and almost get killed for their efforts.

9:45 p.m. AFTER THE THIN MAN (1939) Married sleuths Nick and Nora Charles try to clear Nora's cousin of a murder charge.