Filmmakers appear to be at their best when being interviewed by Europeans. Yesterday I offered up Orson Welles on Michael Parkinson’s show. Today, dig this one-hour doc made for French television titled ‘Billy Wilder; Portrait Of A 60% Perfect Man’. Ciment, a noted French cineaste, shot this material in Los
This is absolutely one of the best–if not the best–of the many interviews Orson Welles did over the years. It’s from a 1974 BBC program, the highly respected interview show hosted by Michael Parkinson. Welles is more relaxed than he is on guard, which is often his default attitude when
Seeing how it appears to be ‘George Cukor Day’ on TCM (‘The Philadelphia Story’ is playing as I write this and I’m about to give ‘Her Cardboard Lover’, which I’ve never seen, a try) I thought I’d post this 1973 doc about him. It was made as part of an
The YouTube genius NASS (I’ve posted his/her/their videos before) has once again worked his/her/their magic on some old footage of a city from the past, in this case Los Angeles in the 1940s. Much of it appears to me to be stock footage most likely shot by a studio crew
‘Three Sappy People’ (1939) is the 43rd short subject made by The Three Stooges for Columbia Pictures. It was photographed from Thursday, April 6th through Monday, April 10th, 1939 and released on Friday, December 1st of that year. The film is a sharp-as-a-stiletto Curly-era outing, perfectly paced, inventively violent and
Here’s a short but delightful clip of the great Mel talking about working with the great Orson on ‘History Of The World Part 1’. I love Welles answer to Mel’s question as to what he was going to spend his salary on but I don’t believe it for a second;
YouTube is an interesting place to hang out. It enjoys introducing people to material that it houses and makes some curious connections when doing so. For instance, I’ve been posting Fats Waller material for the past few days. When I awoke this AM and logged in I found that they
Here’s another Fats Waller short made for jukebox consumption in 1941 (see yesterday’s post for ‘Your Feets Too Big’). ‘The Joint Is Jumpin’, written by Waller, Andy Razaf and J.C.Johnson, is another of his hit novelty numbers and it’s given a rowdy treatment in this dramatization of what a Harlem
Last Friday I posted about a beautifully restored jukebox that was equipped to show films of the bands performing the songs in the jukebox. These films, known as ‘soundies’, are a great preservation tool as far too little film of performers of the day exist, especially black performers who were
Here’s an excerpt of a musical sequence from an obscure 1944 Republic Studios movie called ‘Atlantic City’. The number is ‘Harlem On Parade’ and it’s a more-than-slightly-valuable documentation of three of the prime black entertainers of the 1930s/40s. I refer to the above mentioned performers who all are given a
The VW Fastback was the dopiest #car Volkswagen ever made and this #vintage Dustin Hoffman #TV #Commercial for it somehow makes that okay. #tvtime
#actor https://raymonddefelitta.org/dustin-hoffman-shills-for-volkswagen/
Dustin Hoffman (or is it Benjamin Braddock?) enthusiastically sells the ludicrous 1969 #VW Fastback in this classic #Television #Commercial. #TCMParty #actors https://raymonddefelitta.org/dustin-hoffman-shills-for-volkswagen/
Dig W.C.Fields lovely digs in Laughlin Park which was for sale last year. #Hollywood #LosAngelesHomes #TCMParty https://raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Have you ever seen W.C. Fields incredible Juggling act? You haven't? Well, the best five minutes of your day await you! #comedy #Circus #FilmTwitter #TCM https://raymonddefelitta.org/w-c-fields-juggles-his-ass-off/
Moe Howard gets dunked in a bath of rubber and floats to the ceiling in 'Dizzy Pilots' (1943). It's easier to see it than explain it. #FilmTwitter #TCMParty #comedy https://raymonddefelitta.org/saturday-stoogefest-6/
