Robert Taylor
Howard Duck
pictures: Quo Vadis, Ivanhoe (with Liz Taylor), Knights of the Round
Table (with Ava Gardner), Saddle the Wind (with Julie London -
beautiful voice and style), The Law and Jake Wade (with Richard
Widmark - a really convincing bad guy). Widmark is so natural he
doesn't seem like he is acting at all. I always liked Robert Taylor's
serious screen personality; reminds me of Gregory Peck in some of his
pictures.
Speaking of Gregory Peck: he said he was surprised when John Huston
asked him to take on the role of Captain Ahab - said he thought John
Huston's father, Walter Huston, would have made a more ideal Ahab. But
Walter was too old to play the part, and in fact, I think he died
during the making of Moby Dick. I thought Peck did a good enough
Ahab, but the supporting cast was even more important to me. Richard
Basehart's narrating voice was excellent - love to hear him talk.
--
Howard Duck
Dave in Toronto
Robert Taylor was one of lucky guys who better as he got older. He
was something of a pretty boy in his youth and got lightweight parts
to match, as he aged he retained his looks but his features took on a
more rugged quality. His acting improved also, probably because he
started to get more varied roles. He was fortunate in having a
splendid voice (he won various prizes for oratory in his youth) and
had one of those almost accentless voices that could fit into any
genre - historical, urban thriller, westerns without jarring.
He was particularly interesting when he played bad guys.
Two of my favorites were _Rogue Cop_ where he plays a corrupt cop who
turns straight for the wrong reason - revenge.
In the western _The Last Hunt_ he plays the baddie to his hunting
partner goodie Stewart Granger who has to try and save their pretty
little Indian captive Debra Paget
from Taylor's lustfull advances.
Dave M
Howard Duck
I'll see if I can add those two others to my list. You are right
about his speaking voice. In Quo Vadis, the dialog nearly drove me up
the wall. I wonder who writes some of this awkward sounding stuff.
--
Howard
Willow
neighbourhood went into the garage and made his or her own shiled and
sword. A sword was two pieces of wood nailed together; a shield took
a bit more work - one had to used a saw, hand or powered, to cut it to
shape and then use a drawer handle to gtet a grip. Normally this was
done without any paretn in the vicinity. We dropped cowboys and
indians for knights, and chased around the neighbourhood having sword
fights. i cannot understand how we did blind or injure any one of
us. We tried jousts on bikes but holding a long piece of wood and
shield was not possible on bikes.
These days, the parents would go down to WalMart and buy a plastic
sword and shield then make sure the kids did not wander out of sight.
We travelled far afield with our knightly battles, rarely an adult
anywhere insight. Recently, a pshycologist was interviewed on CBC.
He said that our Great grandparents wandered for miles,
unaccompanied. With each generation the wandering distance was cut
down, until mine was the last generation to be permitted to wander at
large. Due to this, he stated that kids these days have lost their
ability to navigate. They are not alloowed out of the yard or
paarents sight. I think this is sad indeed. My IVANOE days are still
treasured memories...
Willow
Dave in Toronto
Yep. Times have changed. When I was a kid all the boys carried guns
(toy ones) to school and flashed them around as we chased each other
at playtime. When I was in kindergarten I had an imitation black
automatic stuffed in my back pocket. It made a clicking sound when
you pulled the trigger. We also pretended to be grownups with candy
cigarettes, chocolate cigars and licquorice pipes. I guess none of
that is allowed now.
Dave M
Howard Duck
I can relate to what you say. We had our sword fights too, and
walking to town or on the RR tracks was common for us. One thing I'm
sad to say is, I wish the kids up the block did not consider the
street as their personal playground - I have to drive very slowly
through their activities.
--
Howard
Dave in Toronto
>
> - Show quoted text -
We'd better be careful. I think we're getting close to doing the
Monty Python - Four Yorkshiremen sketch :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13JK5kChbRw
Dave M
Chris F.A. Johnson
...
> We'd better be careful. I think we're getting close to doing the
> Monty Python - Four Yorkshiremen sketch :-)
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13JK5kChbRw
Which is actually older than Monty Python (though it includes John
Cleese): <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eDaSvRO9xA>
--
Chris F.A. Johnson <http://cfajohnson.com>
Author: =======================
Pro Bash Programming: Scripting the GNU/Linux Shell (2009, Apress)
Shell Scripting Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach (2005, Apress)
Stanley Moore
"Howard Duck" <hdu...@tx.rr.com> wrote in message
news:ak03s61v3ku5g0foc...@4ax.com...
I guess all of us of a certain age have much the same experiences. I
recently visited the small town, pop. approx. 1100 that we left in 1959 when
I was 10 years old. I met with a childhood friend and we reminisced about
traveling all over town on our bicycles with absolutely no supervision. No
one worried about child molesters or predators or even accidents. Cowboys
and Indians, sword fights and all sorts of pretend games were our pastimes.
But while we remember the good things of the past lets not forget the racial
segregation and lack of opportunity for many of our fellow citizens at that
time. Let's recall the "communist under every bed" attitude of those days
and the fear at least in us kids that the duck and cover drills instilled in
us of atomic bombs. While the Eisenhower years were nice for some of us they
war not for others. I for one feel that "these are the good old days". Take
care
--
Stanley L. Moore
"The belief in a supernatural
source of evil is not necessary;
men alone are quite capable
of every wickedness."
Joseph Conrad
Annie C
"Stanley Moore" <smoo...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:06udnVHY0qhfD1zQ...@giganews.com...
Very well said, Stanley. I often feel that kids nowadays miss out on a
lot... even my sons born c. 1970 had so much more freedom and many
adventures with their friends Rode bicycles all over, played sports with
friends in the school yards, etc...
Kids now see m to spend so much time indoors, on computers, or at a mall,
etc... and while I can understand the protectiveness of parents to some
extent, it also seems that young people cannot learn to be as self reliant
and how to navigate in the world if they are under perpetual supervision.
And, yes, the world is a different place in so many ways, not all good..
When I hear the "siren" testing every Tuesday around here at 10 am, my
inclination is to dive under the nearest desk for fear this time it is the
"air raid!") It is so ingrained. I think you're right though, these are
probably the good old days. We have made social progress in many areas since
the 50s.. although some days you wonder if we're backsliding again.. steps
forward, a step back, then forward again.. etc.... so it goes.
Annie
Howard Duck
Oh my! I kind of remember George Burns saying he complained to his
mother for having to sleep on the floor. She told him some people
don't have a floor to sleep on.
--
Howard
Joan in GB-W
"Dave in Toronto" <dmatt...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:8e7ac57f-8228-4f1a...@f31g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
Dave M
------------------------------------
I wish I had a dollar for all the times I shouted, "Bang, bang, you're
dead," as a youngster while playing cops and robbers, and cowboys and
Indians.
Joan
Dave in Toronto
> "Dave in Toronto" <dmatthew...@hotmail.com> wrote in messagenews:8e7ac57f-8228-4f1a...@f31g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
>
> - Show quoted text -
Loved that scene in Hitchcock's _Strangers on a Train_when Robert
Walker is at a fun fair about to commit a murder. a kid in a cowboy
hat and carrying a balloon points a toy gun at him and says "Bang !
You're dead." Walker looks at him coldly then bursts the kid's
balloon with the lighted cigarette in his hand.
Dave M
Annie C
"Dave in Toronto" <dmatt...@hotmail.com>
<snippage>
Loved that scene in Hitchcock's _Strangers on a Train_when Robert
Walker is at a fun fair about to commit a murder. a kid in a cowboy
hat and carrying a balloon points a toy gun at him and says "Bang !
You're dead." Walker looks at him coldly then bursts the kid's
balloon with the lighted cigarette in his hand.
Dave M
____________________________________
So glad you mentioned "Strangers On A Train," one of my very favorite
films..
The actor Robert Walker was in real life a truly tragic character. Died
young at age 32 not long after this film was made, and only made one other.
He died from an allergic reaction to a barbiturate administered to him by
his psychiatrist in an effort to calm him down. But he had been drinking,
and alcohol and barbiturates don't mix....
What a memorable performance he gave as wicked Bruno. Have read that both
Raymond Chandler and Ben Hecht (wow) worked on that screenplay adaptation of
Patricia Highsmith's novel. The Hitch film had so much dark humor, despite
the creepiness of it all. Pat Hitchcock was very good in it too, providing
some levity from time to time. Great film
Annie
Howard Duck
Brings back memories. I also liked Walker as Jerome Kern in "Till the
Clouds Roll By" - that had some outstanding entertainers. One thing
that really surprised me was Van Johnson dancing to the song "I Won't
Dance" - I think I enjoyed that more than Fred Astaire's version in
"Roberta".
--
Howard
Dave in Toronto
> "Dave in Toronto" <dmatthew...@hotmail.com>
Actually Hitchcock and Chandler didn't get along too well and Hitch
ended up not using anything Chandler had written - Chandler's name
remained on the credits because it had considerable bow-office value.
The script ended up being re-written not by Ben Hecht but by one of
his assistants - Czenzi Ormonde -. Great film anyway.
Dave M
Dave in Toronto
> On Thu, 5 May 2011 14:51:09 -0500, "Annie C"
>
>
>
>
>
>
> - Show quoted text -
Van Johnson was a good dancer. He did some nifty footwork in
_Brigadoon_ as well, sometimes matching Gene Kelly step by step.
Dave M
Janet
<snip>
> The actor Robert Walker was in real life a truly tragic character.
> Died young at age 32 not long after this film was made, and only made
> one other. He died from an allergic reaction to a barbiturate
> administered to him by his psychiatrist in an effort to calm him
> down. But he had been drinking, and alcohol and barbiturates don't
> mix....
That's interesting. I has always heard that he committed suicide.
When I was a kid I had a bit of a crush on him due to his appearance in The
Clock with Judy Garland. :) He was very cute.
Howard Duck
<dmatt...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Brings back memories. I also liked Walker as Jerome Kern in "Till the
> > Clouds Roll By" - that had some outstanding entertainers. One thing
> > that really surprised me was Van Johnson dancing to the song "I Won't
> > Dance" - I think I enjoyed that more than Fred Astaire's version in
> > "Roberta".
> > --
> > Howard- Hide quoted text -
> >
> > - Show quoted text -
>
>
> Van Johnson was a good dancer. He did some nifty footwork in
> _Brigadoon_ as well, sometimes matching Gene Kelly step by step.
>
> Dave M
Say, I need to watch Brigadoon again. It's been a long time. Van
Johnson seemed to take on a dark cast of personality in his later
years. I understand he suffered from an automobile accident when he
was younger.
--
Howard
Dave in Toronto
He did have a look alike son who had a promising career for while (he
was in _Easy Rider_) but his parts soon dwindled into nothingness.
Dave M
db...@booksnbytes.com
wrote:
My favorite movie with him is probably "Command Decision". Amazing
cast. Several of my favorite actors.
Clark Gable
Walter Pidgeon
Van Johnson
Brian Donlevy
It's always seemed to me like many of the best actors had very
distinctive voices. Has anyone else noticed that?
-- David
--------------------------------------------
David Ball dball(at)booksnbytes(dot)com
Mystery and SFF: http://www.booksnbytes.com
upcoming books: http://www.booksnbytes.com/pubdate/index.html
Dave in Toronto
Yes he did and he had to have a metal plate inserted into his skull.
He also had a very troubled childhood with a very aloof father who
wanted no part of him and an alcoholic mother who was absent most of
the time. After he had achieved some success his parents tried to
contact him and he refused to see them, when the press accused him of
neglecting them he said , "They had no time for me when I needed them
and I have no time for them now."
Dave M
Howard Duck
I have. Sometime I like the voice and accent more than the acting.
--
Howard