Old Gang-stars

Some things I considered writing about next:

• Ira Glass, his This American Life podcast, and/or when he was interviewed in Julian Fleisher’s Naked American Songbook
• Confused Matthew in YouTube
• Lilly Singh
• Abbi Jacobson’s A Piece of Work podcast for MoMA
• Social anxiety, or anxiety for social events

But I guess I’m gonna have to hold the phone on all of that because it’s August now and here that means TCM's "Summer Under the Stars"

Dad, Christine, and I have done this kind of contest for years where we’d make a list of 31 stars, guessing who they would feature on which day. Whoever guessed the most right would win, guessing the same person on the “right” day would give you an extra point. Some get linked together, like if you put down Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers automatically follows, and vice versa. Chris opted out last year, so it looks as though it’s just Dad and me this year.

Today’s star (8/4) is Claire Trevor, someone neither of us had put down but whom we like just the same. She won an Oscar for playing Gaye Dawn in “Key Largo” but I can't stand the part in the movie where she’s coerced to sing for the promise of a drink and doesn't get to have it because Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson) changes his mind and goes back on his word. But I’ll always watch her as Francey (Oscar nominated) in “Dead End” where at least there she kind of, sort of defends herself, defeated and tragic as her character is, probably even more so than in “Key Largo”. They played “Dead End” this morning at 6:00. Unfortunately, I had a hard time sleeping last night so I didn’t wake up until 7:00.

But that’s ok. I have the dvd.

And eventually, even though they're “dad's movies”, I made a point to own 3 essential 1930’s gangster films on dvd. My top 3 are:

1. Dead End

2. The Petrified Forest

3. Angels With Dirty Faces

That's not a ranking. I can't decide which one is #1, they all float together in equal worth for me.

They all happen to feature the iconic, one-of-a-kind Humphrey Bogart, but only by chance. I know Bogart is “it” and “the man”, I see that, but I’m not exactly his biggest fan- my dad might be. Casablanca, The African Queen, The Big Sleep, The Harder They Fall, To Have and Have Not... all big Bogie films, but those don’t really “do it” for me.

BUT I cannot front with him in Dead End.

Something about the way he plays ‘Baby Face’ Martin- his bravado, delusions, and how he deals with his losses, that I “just can't” with. And by “just can't” I mean I could watch over and over.

And then when he finally gets to see Francey again…

I saw this film when I was a child- along with my My Little Pony, Rainbow Brite, Care Bears, Small Wonder, Punky Brewster kind of world, this was also included for whatever reason. I remember developing a little crush on the Dead End kids in general, and their bravado.

The Petrified Forest

I saw this when I was probably a teenager one night in my living room, looking to tune into something romantic, black and white, and sophisticated. So here was Bette Davis and Leslie Howard, being romantic, black and white, and talking all sophisticated to each other. Well, it’s mostly Leslie Howard doing that. Bette Davis tells him, "You know? You talk like a darned fool” as she starts to fall for him.  For me this is Leslie Howard’s movie way more than Bogart’s. Look at how he as Alan Squire, sticks out like a sore thumb yet holds his own here, his gravitas.

And then he comes at us with this later in the evening- while still being a hostage

Any woman's worth everything that any man has to give.

Anguish, ecstasy, faith, jealousy, love, hatred, life or death.

Don't you see that's the whole excuse for our existence?

It's what makes the whole thing possible and tolerable.

He’s another one I “just can’t” with. And by “just can’t”, I mean...

Angels with Dirty Faces

I don't remember when I first saw this, but it took me a few times to really like and appreciate it. Again, it's not so much Bogie's film as it is Cagney's and a little bit of the Dead End kids. Here's where they meet.

Not to give anything away, but Cagney really keeps you guessing at how his character really and truly feels in the end, which makes this film so special to me.  

My honorable mention here would be “City For Conquest” (another dvd I made a point to own) which is mainly due to Ann Sheridan’s and James Cagney’s awesome chemistry together which is also present in AWDF but more so here

I never thought I'd feel the need to devise a list like this, but I have. And it’s as much a part of me as my life outside or apart from watching, critiquing, and/or getting lost in films.

Even though we can look up their “summer under the stars” lineup online, we don’t. One year one of our cousins played with us and did that, determining the winner way before the month was over. As enthusiastic as he was about it all, that took some of the fun away for us. We won’t know who's going to win until the end of the month. We won’t even win a prize. It’s just something that we like to do in August. *************************************** 7/31/18 This popped up in my memory feed on facebook this morning, as well as other statuses from other years where I mention the contest. This is the one my sister posted in 2015 including a list of our guesses from the chart she made. If you'll notice it says 167 comments, the most pertaining to our contest, I'm sure!