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Hollywood (1980)
Do Genuine Movie Buffs STILL Give a "TOSS" these Days?
I am so Greatful to have not only Seen this Wonderful Series when it First Aired on Television on it's Original Release here in Australia. And when each Episode Begins, when I hear CARL DAVIS Conduct that Orchestra, I just get Goosebumps, All Over, Every Time... I have since become such a Movie Buff over the years, I do not mind if Any Movie was made dating way back Starting from back in the year 1894 when the FIRST MOTION PICTURES were made by the LUMIERE Brothers for the Very First Time, who were based in France, and their Films were produced in a Movie Camera that the Brothers had Created, and when it came time to Project the Same-Films on a Movie Screen, the Same Camera was then Converted into a Projector, by Putting a Suitable Light source Inside the Same Camera, thus becoming a Projector for the purpose to then Show their Movies to a Small Group of approximately 28 People For The FIRST acknowledged Public Showing of MOVING PICTURES to a PAYING AUDIENCE in a Restaurant in Paris, France, converted for the occasion, where these "SIXTY-SECOND" Motion Picture Films were projected for the Very First time. Along my life's path, being born in 1946, naturally I did not get to Live during the Period that was covered in the "HOLLYWOOD" Series of THIRTEEN EPISODES of which spans the Years from 1894 through to 1933 or thereabouts (when Synchronized-Sound-On-Motion-Picture-Film began back in the Late 1920's ) But when "HOLLYWOOD" The Complete Series aired in Australia the First time, it Piqued my Interest as to where Motion Pictures Began, and I have since Learned & developed a Deep interest of All Eras of Cinema History, of Genres & Countries with Filming capabilities. I have in recent times learned that a great many Motion Pictures that were made During the Silent Era have since all but Disappeared for All Time, something in the region of 80% has Disappeared. Do You dear Reader, "know" Some of the reason for this is ? If you will allow me a moment to explain, do you Remember the "Burning Of Atlanta" Sequence in the Movie-Of-Movies - "GONE WITH THE WIND" ? What do you Think was used to Create those Flames in "GONE WITH THE WIND" ? Answer: Check me out on this... At the End of the "Silent" Era of Movies, the Movies themselves had mainly been produced Using CELLULOSE-NITRATE-FILM-STOCK for the Film itself running through the Projector, and to this a SILVER-EMULSION was used for the Creation of the Images on this Film base. If these films were not Carefully Handled & Carefully Stored, they could create such a FIRE Hazard, they were frequently responsible for Cinemas and Other Premises frequently catching fire and burning to the Ground, because NITRATE-FILM is incredibly UNSTABLE if Not Handled & Stored with Great Care. The Producers of "GONE WITH THE WIND" approached a great many of the Owners of the CELLULOSE-NITRATE Movie Prints of the Silent Era Movies and had sufficiently convinced them, rather than have these potentially Lethal, Unstable items on their hands, and lying around, and risking Lawsuits if it could be proved in Court that a fire or fires were created by Carelessness of these potential Lethal items laying around for ages, which they most likely would Never Again have the ability to make any Monetary Return from the Old Silent Movie Prints when most audiences had been introduced to "THE TALKIES" around 1928/1929 and since 1936 THREE-STRIP-TECHNICOLOR" had been introduced and Improved upon, over the earlier TWO-STRIP-TECHNICOLOR Process, then there would hardly be any need to retain those Old Silent movies, they would be relegated to the Waste-Bin of Film History. So to help in the creation of THE BURNING OF ATLANTA SEQUENCE for "GONE WITH THE WIND" ( which by the way, was the Very First Footage Filmed for "Gone With The wind"" ) The Producers had Convinced a Great Many Owners of the Old NITRATE Silent Movies to deliver the Old Silent Movies to the Staging area of "The Burning of Atlanta" sequence ) because Those "Silent Movie prints" were then to Become the Source of those Flames from a great many Films produced from the many Movie Studios based at that time in California.
I Consider as a Documentary "HOLLYWOOD" is Truly not just "One" of the Best Documentaries on the Early Motion Picture Pioneers, it is the "Ultimate Record" of the Earliest Years of Movies Ever Having Been Produced and can Never Be Replicated on Screen, as we have since Lost all those early Movie Stars and Directors, nor can "HOLLYWOOD" The Complete Series be Superseded. Have You Dear Reader of these notes Seen It Yet?
The last time I checked, there were around Elleven of the Thirteen Episodes of it, which had been made Available to Worldwide "YouTube" Users, but Two Of the Episodes had been Removed from YouTube, related to Copyright Ownership Regulation Issues ( I Suspect ). There are during the Running Times of each of the Thirteen Episodes so may Film Buff Revelations made available during the running time, hence my curiosity in Titling my Review = "Do Genuine Movie Buffs STILL Give a "TOSS" these Days? In recent years, in Australia we have lost a Great Movie Buff, with his passing, he had been a School Teacher, and over the years he had made a Career out of Introducing Australian Audiences to Film Appreciation as early as I can remember from my childhood years. I remember he would show Movie Clips on Black & White TV Screens by him beginning around about 1958/1959 to Melbourne & Sydney Children's Audiences here in the Children's TV hours, I know, because I was one of those Kids watching him introduce us to the Likes of "Singing In the Rain"; "Brigadoon"; "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" and many others of much earlier years too. In recent years, when I learned of his passing, I discovered he had a Vast Movie Paraphenalia Collection. I discovered there was to be an Auction of his Movie items, and Low & Behold, I discover I had an opportunity to Secure for myself a Complete Copy of All Thirteen Episodes of "HOLLYWOOD", ( which as it turns out, there have now been Multiple Auctions of Each of his Movie Artifacts ) And when I also discovered a Treasured Item ( that I hold dear and I have a Copy of it in my own meager Movie collection ), but when I got a chance to Secure for myself a Second Copy of the Complete Series of "HOLLYWOOD", I jumped at the chance... Out of his Vast Collection of Books and Movie Posters, it is Without a doubt, a most prized Treasure. As I have never Sold anything via the Internet, I am considering offering it for sale at some stage, but I am yet to learn how to go about Photographing it first and then what platform to offer it from. At One time a Number of years ago, when I had only started to use a Computer for the First Time, I went in search of Information about getting myself a Copy of it on DVD, that was before the Introduction of Blu-Ray Discs. Back then I Clearly Remember seeing a Posting about it - ( I think it was on Wikipedia, in the Earliest years of Wikipedia ) where I remember it was told, that the Series could never be made into a Commercial Success and it would Never Become Available On Dvd or Any Other Later Technologies due to there being so many Film Copyright Issues and to Also to get the Consent a Second Time of the Surviving family Members, of All the Original Actors, Directors, Etc, that appear throughout the Entire Series, the Task would be so Complex and Far More Costly, than could be recouped from the Video Sales. And Reproducing all the In-Person Interviews there are to be Found throughout the Entire Series. So, if I do decide to Sell "HOLLYWOOD" The Complete Series - All 13 Episodes, all I can recommend to readers here, is to be checking out occasionally the Two Main Internet Sellers, it might just take me a couple of years to get around to it...
Mr. Terrific (1967)
Now is Your chance to See these Series TV Shows as of 2021
When both these TV Series "MR TERRIFIC" and "CAPTAIN NICE" first aired here in Australia in the 1960's, I only got to see a couple of the episodes of each Show as I was then 20 years of age and I had just started a New career on a rotating roster of alternating Week-about of One-week Day-shift and the Next-week Night-shift as a Cinema Film-Projectionist, so I did not get to see many of the episodes of each of these TV shows at that time ( and this was during those years before the introduction of Betamax and VHS Home Video Tape Recording ability ). But only recently: I discovered that BOTH of these TV Series "MR TERRIFIC" and "CAPTAIN NICE" are now available on 4x DVD discs in the ONE BOXED-SET Containing BOTH of these Series ( and is currently available from from Europe, but for how much longer I do not know ), so I have only recently landed a Boxed-Set for myself of both of these Series and have noted that the Visual Quality of the "STEPHEN STRIMPELL" - "MR TERRIFIC" Series was Filmed in "TECHNICOLOR" so the On-Screen results are "Very Good", whereas the "CAPTAIN NICE" Series with William Daniels has been filmed in a relatively poor color process, which I suspect was the vastly inferior Eastman Color process if compared side-by-side with TECHNICOLOR, ( take it from this Cinema-Film-Projectionist of almost Forty Years of focussing Movies for all of those years ) that you simply cannot beat TECHNICOLOR for faithful Color reproduction. The color dyes as used in Eastman Color fade in a relatively short number of years and tend to go predominantly reddish, whereas TECHNICOLOR tends to Retain the Color Spectrum for MUCH Longer in comparison to Eastman Color.
I have now viewed a couple of the Episodes of Each of these shows and can happily report here, that there are many laughs, chuckles and a couple of Belly-laughs to be had along the way. You will remember from Television History that both these series are around the time of production of TV's "GET SMART" so "MR TERRIFIC" and "CAPTAIN NICE" were competing with Maxwell Smart for eyeballs to be tuned in each week for Viewer Loyalty so in hindsight we can now see the results of the Ratings these two shows got relative when compared to TV's "Get Smart". If you get your own Boxed set of "MR TERRIFIC" and "CAPTAIN NICE" ( which I hope you do ) for your own TV collection, you will discover as I recently did, that DICK GAUTIER appears in a featured Role in both "MR TERRIFIC" and "GET SMART". You will also note along the way in both of these series that there are many Character Actors from Feature Films and TV Shows from that era. If you know some of these Character Actors by Name ( as I do ), you will note in "CAPTAIN NICE" that Character Actor LIAM DUNN plays the Mayor of Big Town, LIAM DUNN after this series aired went on to gain a Featured-Role as the Judge in the Movie "WHAT'S UP DOC?", I am pretty sure LIAM DUNN was known to the Film Director Peter Bogdanovich, perhaps Mr Bogdanovich chose LIAM DUNN for the Judge role in "WHAT'S UP DOC?" having seen him in here "CAPTAIN NICE" on Television at that Pre-Production phase of "WHAT'S UP DOC?". If you know the Character Actors by their Name & by sight, I recommend that you check out the Listings here in IMDB to find out who you can expect to see in the various episodes of Each of these Two Comedy Series, the Laughs once again can be yours on DVDs if you Act Now and Soon... Happy Viewing Folks.
Girl Stroke Boy (1971)
WHY we Can't Buy this Movie These Days on DVD or BLURAY YET !!!
I absolutely adore this GEM of a Movie !
What makes it for me, is the Acting Talents of all of the Cast, beginning with Sir Michael Hordern playing the Father & his Wife played by Joan Greenwood with that "Smokey" sounding voice of hers... When in the film they get a visit from their Son with his "Friend". From the opening "seconds" of the film to the "END ?" of the film, the Mother and Father & You Dear Reader, will be no wiser as to the Gender of the Son's "FRIEND" !!! That basically is the entire Plot of this very delightful English Comedy.
I saw it, on it's Original Release back in the early 1970's. I wish I had a WAYBACK ( TIME MACHINE ) so that I could return then, to see it again.
As to why we cannot yet purchase it on DVD or BLURAY: I recently went looking for information of the Film Company responsible for it's Production and it's subsequent FILM Distribution, and I learned that the Film Production Company was broken up in the 1970's and it has since become part of the assets of Various Film Libraries/Entities/Collections ( or perhaps I should more rightly say FILM COLLECTIONS in Various 35mm FILM Repositories Owned by Various Corporations, which have been changing hands & Ownership on a somewhat regular basis to this point in time of March-2018, which appear to have little or no interest in releasing it to us FILM / VIDEO Collectors who appreciate the Cinema of the 1970's.
Might I add, that I am living with the Hope that the current Owner/Owners of the Film Copyright Holder of this FILM of "GIRL STROKE BOY" will IN MY LIFETIME = Release this film to us: on a REMASTERED BLURAY for us FILM BUFFS/Collectors. Whoever You are dear Copyright Owner of "GIRL STROKE BOY", You have a VERY EAGER FILM NUT who is VERY KEEN to get a copy of "GIRL STROKE BOY" and I will once again be able to Laugh at the Combined Comedy Talents of Sir Michael Hordern & Joan Greenwood throughout this filmed Comedy.
For some readers here, who may not know of Joan Greenwood, I recommend that you IMDB either = "JOAN GREENWOOD" under "Celebs" or check the Cast Listing for the Anthony Askwith version of the 1950's Technicolor Film of "THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST" which is for me, perhaps the Best Filmed British Comedy of All Time.
PLEASE Copyright Owner/Owners PLEASE RELEASE ON BLURAY "BOY STROKE GIRL" !!! Thank You Folks !!!
Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963)
As the "Title" suggests..."Eat the -YUM YUM- Fruit: While it is Still Ripe" ( 1963 )!!!
I am one of those frequenters to Visit here in "IMDb.COM" to repeatedly return here over and over, to read other folks opinions, views and reviews of their Movie Going Experiences.
I would love to see a place in the IMDb REVIEWS Section given over to the following Information...1/ Did the Reviewer actually "See" the Movie on it's Original Theatrical RELEASE DATE ? 2/ Was the Movie experienced in a Movie Theatre, or was it experienced on Home Video? I believe that there is a Definite relevance & significance to the responses gained from knowing the ANSWERS to these Two Questions. What has this anything to do with the MOTION PICTURE Released in 1963, known as "UNDER THE YUM YUM TREE" with Jack Lemon and Cast? Plenty.. My being born in 1946, I was 17 years old in 1963. I got to see this film in an "ATMOSPHERIC Cinema" check out on the www... to find out what an "ATMOSPHERIC CINEMA" consisted of ...In this very "ATMOSPHERIC CINEMA" it was there, only Three Years later that I would be found working in the "Projection Room" of that Very same Theatre, I did not know that at that time, -as I was still in High School- In the Year of 1963, filmed Adult material was in short supply, and Movies were being altered gradually from very prudish story-telling and just venturing into territory where it had previously been prevented and forbidden since the years 1933/1935 by the ENFORCEMENT OF "THE Hollywood PRODUCTION CODE"!!! Le us not forget, that in 1959 we had "PILLOW TALK" with Doris Day and Rock Hudson which was a Ground-Breaking Comedy for it's time... Then we come to 1963 with "UNDER THE YUM YUM TREE" in the Glorious Technicolor process, a film Technology that would be deliberately phased out over the next couple of years, due to the Costs involved in Producing TECHNICOLOR MOTION PICTURES, more is the pity.
"... Yum Yum Tree", was about a mature-aged male ogling young women, and offering a relatively safe male fantasy for the guys in the cinema going audiences of 1963, we had not seen such characters portrayed on screen before. I can recall the beautiful Color of the Film, Carol Lynley's character portrayal of a Young Girl who could handle herself well from the ever advancing approaches of her lecherous Landlord played by Jack Lemmon ...who had generally played in Film comedies throughout the 1950's, at that screening in 1963, I found myself laughing at the antics and of the verbal sparring & repartee between Dean Jones and Jack Lemmon. It was a film made for it's time in "Hollywood History" and NOT a movie made for 2017 AUDIENCES, of present day audiences who kid themselves, believing that they know MUCH BETTER and looking from the present Vantage point of looking back to a time, that they cannot remotely hope to relate to, as they have no reference point from which to operate from, as they did not live in that ERA back in the early 1960's. Now that I am at the age of 71+ (plus) when I read reviews here on IMDb, when I read middling or negative comments, I am pretty sure I can discern who actually has Experienced the MOVIE being reviewed at the time of the Picture's Original Theatrical Release date, and someone who has only recently seen something for the Very FIRST TIME being "DECADES AFTER" and since the Original Release... We cannot alter the past, we have indeed lost a great many things over the intervening years, and a Number of the things that I most regret losing, looking back, is common Courtesy and Respect & Decency...These things are what this Present Era Lacks in, Just look around us...