Before my time but some interesting movies, cartoons and TV from the 50s. Right now it's Disney's first TV show pimping the yet to be opened Disneyland.
Apparently TCM will do this a few times a year as part of an agreement to consult on and endorse an old movie ride at Disney Studios.
I've always loved old cartoons. MPAA started ruining them in the 30s with their Code. Some still great stuff from the late 30s to the late 40s though. And then they were further ruined more recently with anything possibly offensive being no longer shown, or released on video.
TCM aired "I'll Be Seeing You" over the weekend with Ginger Rogers & Joseph Cotton, from '44. What an outstanding motion picture. She plays a woman convicted of manslaughter serving time in state prison. She is permitted a 10 day furlough and returns home. Now, they delay the information of how she came to be incarcerated until over half the movie is in the can. I find that restraint rare and here it is so effective. Working as secretary in a prestigious firm she'd be lured to her bosses Park Avenue apartment on the ruse of a party. Spending her last money on an evening gown she shows up to find the apartment vacant save her inebriated boss. She tries to make the door, but, is stopped and a tussle ensues. She is able to fight him off, but, on the last push he catapults out the window, 14 floors up. A "man" has died and somebody has to pay for it. She's done half of the 6 year prison term when her exemplary behavior earns her the Christmas furlough. Her family of aunt, uncle and niece (Shirley Temple) are understanding and loving, but, still there is an edge to them. She meets Cotton a WWII sergeant who is s shocked and near the edge of a 14 story hop himself.
For the New Years Eve party in small town USA, the aunt insists on buying Rogers a beautiful evening gown for the occasion. Cotton shows up with a white orchid for her, the same flower her boss had sent her before the party 3 years earlier. She has not told Cotton the tale, but, the orchid causes her to break down in tears (a man has died).
The ending is Hollywood, of course, so there is not need to cite it, but, championing a woman in 1940 in such a situation was glorious.
I could give 2 s for Disney, but, TCM? God bless 'em.
I'm permanently stuck in the 40's filmwise so I love TCM. But I'm not really into Disney because they were on the forefront with color and I have never seen anything in color that is more stark AND graceful than black and white.
Are they playing Dumbo or Song of the South?
Yes. There is something pure and beautiful about B&W film. Sometimes the characters talk about (color) within the production. "That pink dress is beautiful on you." "He was wearing a blue serge suit." This tact is not distracting. Just the opposite, it brings a sense of calm to the proceedings.
(Color) is distracting to a point. And is a completely different experience. It takes quite a bit of getting used to from film to film, B&W to color, vice versa. (I) see so much more at B&W than I do at color.
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