1940's Hall of Fame II

Good review as usual and you made some interest points, which I quoted.

Maybe he was suffering from some type of PTD from the war and that explains why he was like the Terminator...emotionless, cold and calculating. Except for the bar scene where he seemed to be enjoying himself. His behavior is a mystery and I liked that.

Ha, love that line, the whole movie is full of strange but fun dialogue that took me by surprise and I laughed out loud at places. That's the best thing about this movie, is it's very different

I like that! I felt the same way too...her character is odd, but do we really need an explanation as to why? nope we don't.

Could the Pila thing be as simple as a poor girl trapped in her town being excited by a stranger?

It could be but then was it portrayed like that? She seemed terrified during most of it and she claimed she had nowhere to go because her friends went away with muchachos (love that word and that's probably not how you spell it) it at least partially seemed to be that she thought he could help her in someway.

Whatever it was she was mysterious and different and probably the only outright likable character.

Really loved Pancho and the dialogue they gave him.
I was a bit surprised that Ride the Pink Horse WAS Pila riding the carousel too! lol

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I thought the film may have been about communism and that Pink horse was going to be some play on Pinko.

I assumed it was going to be about bestiality.

The Sea Wolf

This movie was something I had previously tried to watch on TCM and missed out and then stumbled upon some few months ago. And as I watched, I knew, this was gonna be my nomination for the second 40's HoF

And this is why:

The Opening 10 min or so. This was what hooked me in before we even get on the Ghost. The whole bar scene and the ship that would crash, both entailed an excellent foreboding feel to them that truly got me intrigued in this movie and where it would possibly take me.
With the passenger ship, I truly thought Ida's character was going to be really worthwhile. Running from the law only to be nearly snatched up, there was a certain derelict desperation that gave me high hopes for her character and where she'd fit in when things got severe on the Ghost.
Garfield's first impression for me as he enters the seaward dive as replacements are being sought out (whether they want to be or not), playing another fugitive of the law definitely set the bar at a very pleasurable height for me. Though, in the end, he was merely a tough muscle. Which he did perfectly, I will not deny that.

Edward G Robinson. Always loved this guy and I've seen him player a gangster, a cuckold husband and both the good guy and the bad guy; and in this, I have got say, has become my favorite role of his. Even at his most detestable in other roles I have never seen him exude danger like he did in here. And the fact that he was no intellectual slouch gave his character so much more. A truly excellent performance.

Cooky. Played with sleezy aplomb, Barry Fitzgerald always makes me smile every time he was on screen. He's another actor that I've seen multiple times before and, like my man Eddie G, I really loved him in this.

I remember @rauldc14 making an excellent comparison of Larson and his ship and their callous indifference and rewatching this I got to absorb and appreciate that statement and how well if fits.

Minus the unnecessary romance, I thoroughly enjoy the doomed feeling of the ship and its passengers and while there was a time in the later part of the movie that slowed for me, the ending won me over as much as the beginning did.

A solid noir-drenched sea faring movie that I was VERY happy to have found and share.

that was actually the original that ran before the Hayes Coding in the late 20's and was banned most states and yet, hugely applauded in France. Go figure.

Ed, I might have asked you this before, but what the hell I'll ask it again...what Edward G. Robinson movies have you seen? And do you want any recommendations?

The Ten Commandments
Key Largo
The Red House
Scarlet Street
Double Indemnity
The Sea Wolf
Brother Orchid
Kid Galahad
Little Caesar

and I think that's all of them. What would you have recommended, CR?

I also loved The Stranger and enjoyed most of Woman in the Window until the ending.

I Remember Mama

Some movies are just plain fun and a joy to watch. This wasn't one of them.

No, just kidding -- it really was, actually! Just messing with @Citizen Rules

But, seriously, this WAS fun AND a joy to watch, and yes, like stated before this had a very The Waltons feel to it and that is a very good thing. Also, like Thursday remarked, we have a fun lil tie in with the same actress playing the timid Aunt Trina who would later play the tough Grandma Walton, which is pretty cool.

Doing a story with a caring, loving family that stands by one another is extremely hard to do without having a diabetic reaction to the overdose of saccharine (I'm talking to YOU, Hallmark Channel!) and this movie avoids that beautifully.

This is a great lil family with some memorable characters, including the arch typical aunts and the bellowing uncle, who is really kind hearted deep down. Loved how he teaches the young boy with the messed up knee how to swear to battle against the pain. Made me think of learning how, depending how much exertion it took to loosen a stubborn bolt or nut, just how vulgar a swear word you needed to loosen it. Made me chuckle watching it.
Also, the reading of his little book at the end; loved that.

Which brings me to mama. Irene Dunne is a gem and a favorite of my room mate and she really shines as the matriarch of this family. From moments of sternness to tenderness and willful determination to do what needs for her family.
While they claim Uncle Chris is the head of the family, mama is definitely the Chairman and she is a definitive anchor that weighs in much of the joy in this movie.

Oh, and of course, that poor cat, Uncle Elizabeth!! I had equal moments of worry and laughter with that poor, wretched thing.

Great lil heart warming movie, @Citizen Rules!! BRAVO

For the life of me I can't remember if I actually watched The Stranger or not, or simply need to.

You've seen a lot of his movies. I love all those too. I didn't remember that he was in The Ten Commandments and I've never seen The Red House.

Not a complete list of what I've seen but my favorites.
Five Star Final (1931)
Barbary Coast (1935)...This is one of my favorite performances by Robinson.
Bullets or Ballots (1936)
The Woman in the Window (1944)...This is a different character than he usually plays. It's the same cast and director as Scarlet Street.
Soylent Green (1973)...This is my all time favorite performance of his, it's heart breaking. Robinson is so good in this, and he was terminally ill during filming but loved movie making so much that he staid at the set all day with his wife by his side, even when he had no scenes to play.

I'll have to check out Barbary Coast, sounds intriguing
and did not know that about Robinson during Soylent Green.

Am I the only one who doesn't know who the Waltons are? A number of you have mentioned them in regards to I Remember Mama, and they were brought up in a previous HoF as well, which was literally the first time I'd even heard about them.

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I've never seen the show and I don't know who they are. I've only heard of them.

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Apparently you and Cricket. Always be worried when you are grouped in with Cricket.
My mom loved The Waltons, that's how I know it. It was a popular show with that generation. You know Little House On The Prarie?

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