TV and Movies

[Oznell]

12:3O p.m. Eastern (noonish)  "Cass Timberlane"  Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, Zachary Scott, Mary Astor, Josephine Hutchinson

Star-crossed, unlikely romance, between decorous Midwestern judge, and charming, younger woman from a different strata of society.

I've only seen the tiniest portion of this, but one of our screen buddies (could it be @drizzellla or @judaline?) has recommended in the past.  I know I'd like it, having been one of those teenagers in love with novelist Sinclair Lewis ("Arrowsmith"; "Main Street"; "Elmer Gantry") who also penned "Cass". 

The movie has his patented theme of stalwart male yoked to free-spirited female, whose whimsical personality tends to be broken in the confining (to her, at least) small prairie towns of Minnesota that are Lewis's frequent fictional milieu.  This one promises to be a rather soulful examination of marriage, especially between disparate personalities...

Spencer Tracy's heart is untouched until he meets bright, appealingly vital, but "wrong-side-of-the-tracks" Lana.  His  friends think she's all wrong for him, but they marry anyway.  And things get rocky...

Terrific role for Lana.  And what a cast.  No cast is unimproved by the presence of my perennial favorite Zachary Scott, ha.   And Tracy and Turner might seem an odd pairing at first, but check out their chemistry:

 http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/516315/Cass-Timberlane-Movie-Clip-Take-The-Witness.html

[halfpint1]

I finally found a movie you reccomend. I have Frontier in so. cal. 3 hours earlier are Movies I never saw. Pride and prejudice--All this and Heaven too-- 9:30 earlier is Cass.

Others look on your guide. Thanks again.

[Oznell]

Oh, that's great, @halfpint1!  I know you've been wanting to have a channel with these great classics.  Enjoy!

[Oznell]

By the way, thanks for the tip-off to "Frontier".  I had not heard of them before-- just looked them up and looks interesting...

[Judaline]

@Oznell  I watched the clip. Ca-yute! I haven't seen this in a long time, so it's time. thnx The thing I remember about the book is that it was on my parents' bookshelves. I always loved the name Timberlane. If I ever run away and change my name, it will be that. lol

[Oznell]

It does look pretty promising, @Judaline!

"Timberlane" does have a very nice sound to it.  "Euphonious", ha.

I remember in one of my "name your baby" books, they had a discussion of unusual first names for girls.  They gave a real life example of a girl named, not Timberlane, but "Timberlake" and I like the sound of that too.  The kid was apparently the child of diplomats, or something, and when stationed in France, her French playmates had a hard time with "Timberlake" so the little girl was nicknamed by them  "Te-le-le" (with appropriate accent over each "e", of course....

[Oznell]

Well, I've now watched the whole thing, and I loved it, for several reasons.  Always like movies where Lana plays a spontaneous, "force of nature" kind of person, as opposed to a lacquered and calculating bombshell.  She was delightful as this somewhat mercurial, conflicted character, even though her part was a bit under-written, toward the end of the movie.

I always underestimate Spencer Tracy, but he was great, and rock-solid as the judge who knows what he wants.  Holds the whole somewhat 'sudsy' scenario together.  Very subtle, realistic actor-- fabulous.  I also think he brought out the best in Lana.  Any actor would be inspired by the prodigiously talented Tracy!

"Cass Timberlane" reminds me of how much I used to enjoy the novels of Sinclair Lewis.  Feel like pulling them all out now, for a good autumn binge-read!

[Group 5 minus 1]

Thought STs speech about marriage at the beginning of the film was kinda sad and certainly ironic.