tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post2183051038676535994..comments2024-03-27T08:00:18.425-04:00Comments on Poseidon's Underworld: This is All Very "Gallant" of Me!Poseidon3http://www.blogger.com/profile/10465785002285422594noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-45340652193333573312021-06-27T16:43:07.584-04:002021-06-27T16:43:07.584-04:00Wyman was a serviceable actress and she was wonder...Wyman was a serviceable actress and she was wonderful in JOHNNY BELINDA. But she lacked sex appeal as a leading lady. Far too starchy and prim to get one’s blood boiling.2 Sticks of Butterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06008596746483293542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-77261046625909848762020-09-16T03:45:09.563-04:002020-09-16T03:45:09.563-04:00I actually enjoy watching Heston at his surliest, ...I actually enjoy watching Heston at his surliest, if you don't like him in this then avoid ARROWHEAD at all costs. Heston and Ronald Reagan were good friends, Ronnie married Jane Wyman and Nancy Davis in real life, but Heston married both of them within the space of two months in 1955. Heston and Nancy starred in the TV thriller BAILOUT AT 43,000 FEET in Oct, and late December LUCY GALLANT was released with Chuck and Jane arguing through the film while both strike it rich.JAMES BYRNEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01524586759709759717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-3930584200482354032019-10-22T11:41:15.739-04:002019-10-22T11:41:15.739-04:00The Jane Russell role that I have trouble reconcil...The Jane Russell role that I have trouble reconciling with her Christian experience is when she played the sleazy, tawdry mother of a rape victim in "The Born Losers." It's a scream....!Poseidon3https://www.blogger.com/profile/10465785002285422594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-79432017390134123012019-10-19T18:50:09.980-04:002019-10-19T18:50:09.980-04:00It's so funny about Jane Russell, apparently s...It's so funny about Jane Russell, apparently she was very religious but she looked like the fallen nun in The French Line production numbers! <br /><br />I never watched The Colbys so I don't know what Jason's character was like but I hope he had a major set of nuts to keep up with Angela! I looked and Lucy Gallant is in the Bad Movies We Love book! There must be some kind of story about why it's not available on DVD. <br /><br />BrianBBrianBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04971543273687192896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-47347768301618972132019-10-17T08:16:07.543-04:002019-10-17T08:16:07.543-04:00BrianB, I've never seen "The French Line&...BrianB, I've never seen "The French Line" (it seems as if it is NEVER aired on television!) Thanks for the heads up. It sounds like it is right up my alley. I recall reading about how at least one of Jane's costumes in it caused a scandal at the time. I have that Edith Head book and find her very fascinating as a person. Peculiar and distinctive and so driven to succeed, while also remaining sort of folksy! "Lucy Gallant" needs to be on DVD....! Where else can you see Jason Colby and Angela Channing together? LOLPoseidon3https://www.blogger.com/profile/10465785002285422594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-79217967351238376912019-10-16T22:51:46.569-04:002019-10-16T22:51:46.569-04:00If you like movie fashion shows you should check o...If you like movie fashion shows you should check out "The French Line" with Jane Russell, Gilbert Rowland, Mary McCarthy and Arthur Hunicutt. It's been a while since I've seen it but as I remember, it's the old Texas Oil Heiress who wants to find a husband who wants her just for her and not her money trope. Mary McCarthy plays her childhood friend from Texas who has become a top fashion designer. Gilbert Rowland plays the male lead who is trying to win Janes heart but he's kind of creepy if you ask me, with his black shoe polish hair dye. Arthur Hunicutt is watching out for Jane's best interests but spends most of the movie screaming and yelling his lines. <br /><br />They all end up in Paris for the big fashion show where Jane performs with guns blazing. She wears this black cape with sliver spangles and when she opens it up it's lined with crystals and she's wearing the tightest, skimpiest corset ever! Truly eye popping! <br /><br />The house models travel from New York to Paris and during one watching of the movie this tall blonde with short hair caught my eye. I spoke to a friend about it and we confirmed it was indeed Kim Novak in a non speaking role! <br /><br />I "art directed" a couple Gene Marshall doll conventions in the early 2000s and for one of them called Lone Star Soiree, the convention doll wore the white satin gown with red & white cape shown in the Lucy Gallant vistAvision movie card. They also produced the costume Claire Trevor wears in the movie card where she's behind the wheel of the car with Charles Heston. You can just see her dyed fox cuff. They sent my drawings with seam placements to China to have it produced so I had a bad VHS copy of the movie to look at the fashions for the drawings. I remember freeze framing the tape and trying to figure out how the garments were made. The movie has never been released on DVD and I believe even VHS which is partly why so few have seen it. <br /><br />Gov Shivers seems like such an unlikely name for someone in leadership! <br /><br />Edith was a hoot in the movie. Her biography, "Edith Head's Hollywood" is a fun read with lots of her drawings and studio photos. I have an article about her I saved from Vanity Fair and what was memorable was the row of bangs pinned to head forms in her closet, each longer in length that she would wear progressively through the month. I remember her appearances on Art Linkletter's House Party and she would talk about the stars and their costumes. <br /><br />BrianBBrianBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04971543273687192896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-64008287815577063882017-03-04T14:23:13.556-05:002017-03-04T14:23:13.556-05:00This is a fun movie that shares a lot of plot elem...This is a fun movie that shares a lot of plot elements with the 1961 Susan Hayward flick Back Street. Lucy Gallant's story was supposedly inspired by the life of Carrie Marcus, who with her husband, Al Neiman, founded Neiman Marcus, which burned down at one time as well.rigs-in-gearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18386949184585570184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-15044899263680626602017-02-28T08:35:53.972-05:002017-02-28T08:35:53.972-05:00Holy Spumoli, I didn't mean to let so much tim...Holy Spumoli, I didn't mean to let so much time lapse before I responded to you all, my angels...! I'm happy that so many people enjoyed this post as this is a fairly obscure movie (as many of mine are here!) <br /><br />Petercox, I was recently telling a friend of mine that I didn't fully appreciate Jane Wyman on "Falcon Crest" at the time. I was a youth and was more into the dramas of Susan Sullivan and Ana Alicia (and the swimsuits of Lorenzo Lamas!) But, yes, those zesty comebacks and insults are a true joy to me now!<br /><br />Dave, ROTFL about the "Planet of the Apes" hairdo!! (And Dianne!) I'm quite old fashioned that, in general, I don't like short hair on women. Granted, after a certain point, they shouldn't wear it LONG either, but I just always seem to prefer more and almost never a clamped-on helmet like Jane had so often in her 1950s career. For one thing, her face is too flat and broad to pull it off. I included that sepia-toned one of her with curls piled up on purpose to show that she could look a lot better with some volume! This isn't a sexy movie, but it has it's fun points.<br /><br />Roberta, again, ROTFL at the descriptions of Jane's looks and the fact that your nieces determined her to be Chuck's MOM! And I'm with you... If I owned the greatest dept store in Texas then I would wear some of the greatest clothes! LOL Not look like a clerk... Glad you enjoyed the hooty "gusher" poster.<br /><br />Angelman (Chris), I hope you don't have to wait as long as I did to see this one again! I do think you would lap it up. And fellow readers, Angelman66 has a blog of his own that covers a lot of the same types of fun people and projects as this one (without the looonnnnggg babblings that I do!) if you want to check it out!! :-)<br /><br />Joel, I so agree about the hideously stiff governor, someone who was supposed to be giving colorful and inspiring public speeches - Ha! He was a very popular governor, however, and reigned for a long while. We've covered the Wyman look and I couldn't agree more with your assessment. I swear when she wears her hair all cropped in and pairs it with that pink pool coverup it's just the worst, and that's when Heston comes home from the war and sees her again and can't wait to get his hands on her! LOL Thanks, as always, for your remarks and extra info.<br /><br />Rick, that's hilarious about Jane aping Mamie Eisenhower. But it's apt! It's strange about Heston, how he gradually became a top star while so often being so terse, surly, stern, granite-faced, whatever you want to call it! I think for whatever reason his tall, deep-voiced, rugged manliness just spoke to moviegoers at that time. Tastes shift and maybe today we balk at some of his characters, but people really seemed to like it then. I always say I love Charlton Heston movies more than I love Charlton Heston because they always seemed to include great costars, great settings, big budgets, eye-catching action/disaster sequences and, of course, not a little camp, too! I'm STILL waiting to see "Counterpoint" for the first time. It's been one of my Holy Grail flicks. Maybe someday.<br /><br />Scooter, I hope they run this again so that you can see it!!<br /><br />Gingerguy, I totally forgot that "The Adventurers" has TWO fashion shows!! I was recalling the disco one, but the Roman one slipped my mind. You know what that means... I have to watch it again! Ha! I have seen "Made in Paris" but it's been too long ago to recall much other than Ann-Margaret having a lot of hair and - for some reason - not letting Chad Everett catch her! Jane Wyman "simian" looking!!! LOLOLOL Kim Hunter needed to watch it or Chuck would have called in his old pal Jane for TPOA. <br /><br />Thanks, all!!<br />Poseidon3https://www.blogger.com/profile/10465785002285422594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-35923682434711537412017-02-27T15:26:45.501-05:002017-02-27T15:26:45.501-05:00Boy this was a humdinger. I also remember when a ...Boy this was a humdinger. I also remember when a lot of channels did "old movies" now it seems that they are relegated to TCM, and a really crazy channel called Movies!movies!movies! (I am probably getting that name wrong but it's channel 1250 on my cable box). I Howled at the outfit in the poster. I also live for movies that have fashion show segments, so simply must see this one at some point. It looks lush, like the one in "Backstreet". Two of my favorites are "The Adventurers" which has two fashion shows, and "Made In Paris" (if you ever check that one out wait for the outfit titled "Danger, Darling" I scream with laughter every time).<br />Jane is a bit simian looking in that rail car window. I don't get the bangs or fringe on her, but maybe everybody had a branded look and that was hers? "Stage Fright" has a sly moment when Marlene Dietrich tells her that the dress she is wearing is worth 10,000 dollars it helps her so much in the looks department.<br />Wait! those clothes are supposed to be 1940's!!!??? they are so clearly not of that period, which is also very similar to "Backstreet". Agreed that this film seems very Douglas Sirk.<br />I completely remember Gloria Talbott as her daughter in "Heaven" she was a smart-alec college girl with glasses.<br />LOL on the oil derrick between their legs. Just a little phallic.<br />I enjoyed reading this so much and will definitely find this movie somewhere. Thelma Ritter to boot! Gingerguyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17989371210392669145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-59763613365596851482017-02-27T08:19:02.791-05:002017-02-27T08:19:02.791-05:00Wish I had caught this on TCM. It's right up ...Wish I had caught this on TCM. It's right up my alley.Scooterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09874254346853382934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-23240006696646331742017-02-26T08:42:07.476-05:002017-02-26T08:42:07.476-05:00Hi Poseidon, Yes, I used to catch this on cable ba...Hi Poseidon, Yes, I used to catch this on cable back in the day, too...and haven't seen it since!<br /><br />Regarding hairdos or in this case, hair-don'ts! It seems like the big 3 golden era stars still working regularly in the '50s had short, cropped, unflattering dos: Wyman, Crawford, and Stanwyck. In Plain Jane's case, it seems as if she was paying homage to Mamie Eisenhower with hers! <br /><br />As for Charlton Heston, yes he was one hunk of man. Unfortunately, he always played a series of surly, sneering, wooden, dour, chauvinistic, jerks! Aside from the right wing politics, I've never heard anybody say anything bad about him...was this his idea of playing an anti-hero in the era of Brando, Mitchum, etc.? If it was, Chuck was way off the mark!<br /><br />Cheers on Oscar Day!<br />Rickhttp://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/https://www.blogger.com/profile/14243899548141583461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-38013843407419448322017-02-25T22:54:32.563-05:002017-02-25T22:54:32.563-05:00Hi Poseidon,
I LOVE this movie all the way up to ...Hi Poseidon,<br /><br />I LOVE this movie all the way up to the last two minutes and then it makes me see bright red. I know it’s because of the change in women’s place in the world but I always have to suppress the urge to throw something at the screen!<br /><br />How can any true old movie lover ever hate or even dislike a film that gives you both Claire Trevor AND Thelma Ritter, eventually all glammed up, in the same film? They even share a brief moment!! The short answer is they can’t despite the fact that Heston’s character is, and there’s no other way to put it succinctly, an asshole. <br /><br />The sets are incredibly lush once everyone strikes dough and the clothes are fabulous in their peak 50’s Edith Head way. That fashion show is a highlight but the governor’s appearance leading into it is painful in his discomfort. Edith Head is Edith Head, it’s as if she was dipped in that look at an early age and never deviated a faction. <br /><br />Speaking of being locked into a look I’ll never understand what Jane Wyman was thinking when she adopted that banged cropped do of her later period. A pretty woman, as opposed to a devastating beauty, during her Warners years she changed colors and styles frequently usually looking quite fetching with upsweeps and snoods and ANY one of those looked better on her than this longstanding choice which only made her look matronly. <br /><br />She and Heston share little chemistry, though some of that I think is due to his indifference to the role and wanting to get to The Ten Commandments, which would hurt the story if theirs wasn’t meant to be a contentious relationship. <br /><br />A small side note: glad you made reference to The President’s Lady, I love that film-it’s my favorite performance from Susan Hayward, allowing her to shade her tough persona with much of her innate warmth plus she and Heston pair extremely well and he’s a natural for Andrew Jackson. <br /><br />Anyway back to this film, I never assumed The Red Derrick was a just a saloon-I thought it was pretty clear that Claire Trevor was a madam in the way 50’s film showed these things…loose women loitering about, Trevor’s garish dress style and the way the townspeople looked when the joint was mentioned. <br /><br />Aside from the wondrous duo of Thelma and Claire the film is blessed with a terrific supporting cast, I particularly enjoy the crusty William Demarest-love his initial scene in his bank where all the surrounding walls and furnishings match his suit!<br /><br />I also remember this running all the time back in the day but I’ve had better luck through the years catching it several times and always being rapturous while watching again up until those last few minutes but it never stops me from going back to the well again!!joel65913https://www.blogger.com/profile/14526657073681774683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-73372291882949819362017-02-25T07:03:21.055-05:002017-02-25T07:03:21.055-05:00OMG Poseidon, can you believe I have never seen th...OMG Poseidon, can you believe I have never seen this one? Now, with your epic essay and exhaustive photo coverage here, I am enraptured...and dying to see it. I LOVE All That Heaven Allows (which I own) and Magnificent Obsession, but Lucy Gallant has Thelma Ritter, Claire Trever AND the hunky Chuck Heston (politics aside, that man was HOT and one of the all-time-great movie stars!) ?? WOW! I am there. <br />-Chrisangelman66https://www.blogger.com/profile/16471674180789592940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-5821599894192776152017-02-24T20:41:30.418-05:002017-02-24T20:41:30.418-05:00Poseidon, one of filmdom's great mysteries is ...Poseidon, one of filmdom's great mysteries is how Jane Wyman became the star of a series of romantic movies in the 1950s. First, that hair!!! Was there ever a more unflattering style ever sported by a leading woman? Jane was not exactly an ingenue and needed some oomph to be believable as a desired woman. And she certainly wasn't a stylish gamine like Audrey Hepburn who could pull off a waifish coiffure. She wasn't even a clothes horse with a fabulous figure or legs to show off.<br /><br />Watching her in this movie and in the two Douglass Sirk movies with Rock Hudson it's cringe worthy to hear the supporting characters describe her beauty. When my nieces watch these movies with me they are incredulous! My 10 year old niece thought she was Heston's mother!<br /><br />I am a sucker for movies with fashion shows as well. As fanciful as the designer gowns appear, there's rarely anything that outclasses what the lead actress is dressed in. Unfortunately Jane looks like a seamstress here, not someone who's selling soigne gowns in her own store.<br /><br />Thanks for another delightful profile of yet another sappy 1950s woman's picture. The poster with "the gusher" is priceless.Roberta Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03065433889234217024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-90130371998684070802017-02-24T17:11:48.537-05:002017-02-24T17:11:48.537-05:00I don't like either one of these hairdos on Ja...I don't like either one of these hairdos on Jane Wyman? Couldn't they have done better? The first one is just that boring Dianne Feinstein Planet of the Apes hairdo, and the second is that hyper curly wiglike style that Joan Crawford was wearing in that murder on the beach movie a few weeks back. Ugh. They lower the fashions quite a bit. I guess it must have been in style at the time, but did anyone ever wear it well?<br /><br />This looks like a movie I'd be willing to watch at least once for the interior designs and the fashion, but despite that cast, just reading about this it doesn't sound very "sexy" at all.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10845967694366470260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006108502645191096.post-53636992275283433212017-02-24T15:20:00.263-05:002017-02-24T15:20:00.263-05:00God, I love that TV Guide Cover with Wyman and the...God, I love that TV Guide Cover with Wyman and the always fabulous Ana Alicia who played the unstable, but devastatingly beautiful Melissa. I used to think that the nighttime soap opera vixen I was most like is Fallon Carrington as played with such panache by Pamela Sue Martin. However, if I'm really honest and I try to be, I'm most like Melissa Agretti Cumson. I've had my share of dangerous liaisons that sent me right over the edge and forced me to retaliate with all manner of arcane weaponry.<br /><br />If I had a dvd of all of Angela Channing's precision lobbed zingers from Falcon Crest, I could die a happy man.petercox97https://www.blogger.com/profile/05818754297522029991noreply@blogger.com