TV and Movies

[Oznell]

8:00 p.m. Eastern--  "Sabrina"  Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, William Holden

Deluxe, fairy-tale like story of the chauffeur's daughter (north shore Long Island division) winning the hearts of two affluent brothers.   Audrey Hepburn makes a delightful Sabrina, who takes a little time to distinguish which of the two very different men is for her...

I can't help but feel that Bogie was somewhat miscast in this, as "Lionel".  Isn't he just a little bit too "dour"?   William Holden, on the other hand, is a perfect fit for the light-hearted, irresponsible brother... 

Love the long, dreamy party scene in which Rodgers' and Hart's perfect love song, "Isn't It Romantic", plays over and over.  The answer is, yes it is!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5KUElfPki0

Two other greats on Sunday TCM:

3:00 p.m. Eastern--  "Mourning Becomes Electra"  Rosalind Russell is brilliant in this "dysfunctional family tragedy" play transposed from ancient Greece to 19th century New England.  Notable performances too by Michael Redgrave and a young Kirk Douglas.

10:00 p.m. Eastern--  "The Heiress" Another 19th century psychological drama, with Olivia de Havilland in arguably her greatest performance as a disappointed Henry James protagonist, beset by a belittling father and predatory or indifferent suitors...

[kaydee50]

@Oznell  It's an OK movie.  Agree Bogart was totally miscast.  Too old, wanted his wife, Bacall to play the part.   I think I read/heard somewhere that Cary Grant was up for that role and IMO would have been much better.

The Heiress is one of OH's great performances along with To Each His Own, her other Oscar performance.  She's still alive and living in Paris at the age of 103???

[golding76]

Love this one, oznell.

Audrey Hepburn and the film are enchanting.  Ah, when there was magic fairy dust in movie-going.

(Just saw Kaydee's comment.  I like older men, so there was no problem for me with the casting.  A young woman like Sabrina, who had lived in Europe, would likely gravitate to a mature male.)

[Oznell]

Oh, I had almost forgotten that one, @kaydee50 -- good choice.

Another one of de Havilland's I love is "The Dark Mirror" in which she plays two sisters, one good and one evil.  She's awfully convincing, and the movie has real menace.  Directed by one of my fave all-time directors, Robert Siodmak...

[Highlands72]

I love this movie, Bogart and all. Agree that he was probably too old for the role, but I had no problem suspending disbelief. I love the scene where Linus is telling his father the plan he has cooked up to woo Sabrina away from David.

I even like the 1995 re-make with Harrison Ford and Greg Kinnear. I could be mistaken, but if I recall correctly, it was not a box-office success. I like it anyway, and love the music (John Williams and the Bergmans).

[Oznell]

@Highlands72, adorable Greg Kinnear!

[GingerPeach]

TCM sent me TWO reminder about this and it's on my calendar.  I've been looking forward to it.  I'm particularly looking forward to the post-Paris fashion.

I can highly recommend this book about Audrey and film-making.  It's wonderfully researched and beautifully crafted:

[Highlands72]

In an attempt at "thread-blending," I remember one of Olivia de Havilland's less-than-memorable roles in a movie called "Swarm." This film, which had a lot of recognizable names (Fred MacMurray, Michael Caine, and the list goes on) came to mind when reading the thread about "Them" with James Arness.

@Catiele  in that thread mentioned having had an encounter with a swarm of red ants. I had a similar experience as a ten-year-old with a swarm of bees while climbing a tree.

"The Swarm" was a pretty bad movie, despite its stellar cast.

[spiderw]

Oznell

You named three winners, great acting, story lines and movies worth watching or putting on the DVR for future viewing.  I love anything with William Holden in it, love him in Picnic and Bridge on the River Kwai, Love is a Many Splendid Thing to name a few.  Bogie in my opinion was fine in Sabrina, he always stood out in his movies. 

Rosalind Russell was a terrific actress, my favorite role, Miss Sidney in Picnic.  She deserved an Oscar.  The Heiress is superb and a well acted role by Olivia.

This is what you call excellence in the movie industry!

[Oznell]

I so agree, @spiderw, TCM really front-loaded the talent, on all counts, today (Sunday).

I'm thinking because, probably, this is the last day of showcasing Oscar-nominated and winning films?  If I'm remembering right, they return to normal schedule on Monday....