Comments on: Classic Pick O’ the Day: February 8

By: justjack

justjack — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:40:57 +0000

Great, great masterpiece of a film. It’s so good, with such a great plot and such magnificent actors bringing the story to life, that its politics are rendered irrelevant as far as I’m concerned.

Floyd, you picked a great screen shot to post. In that opening scene, Gen. Scott is sitting before the Senate Committee, listening to the pro and con arguments regarding the arms treaty, and he keeps his face immobile and emotionless. But his drumming fingers, the only thing that moves in the whole shot, give away his contempt for the whole lot of them, politicians all, whether they support him or not.

By: Eric

Eric — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:15:08 +0000

Brand new DirecTV DVR set for Devil and… Now if they’d only run a Friday Night Lights Season 4 marathon (probably will after the season finale this week, when they start airing on NBC anyway — such is my luck).

By: The College Widow

The College Widow — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:34:06 +0000

Oh yeah! It IS great. I really enjoy Edward Arnold. He was great at playing villains and heavies but it’s good to see him play a good guy for a change. And of course, Walter Huston as Mr. Scratch. Yep, it’s all good.

By: Mr. Sideous

Mr. Sideous — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:13:11 +0000

Devil & Dan’l Webster – love dat movie!

By: Scott M.

Scott M. — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:09:28 +0000

Smedley Butler..great name!Almost as good as Gen. Tasker Bliss.

By: The College Widow

The College Widow — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:02:03 +0000

This is a new film to me and hope I can catch it this evening. Sadly, The College Widow and Mr. TCW do not have a DVR so we’re limited to watching stuff ‘live’. Looks like a great cast though.

“Now Voyager” is a nice melodrama with the always wonderful Claude Raines in the cast. If you’re not a Bette Davis fan I recommend it because she goes from frumpy old-maid to sophisticated lady with the help of her analyst Claude Raines. The movie is also worth a look if only because it is a cultural touchstone. Anyone who has seen their share of Warner Bros. cartoons will recognize the musical themes that run throughout the movie.

The last scene has also become one of those scenes that would be lampooned and referenced for many years to come. Here’s a brief clip from the last scene from Now Voyager:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-KGiwGn1d8

By: TRO

TRO — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:32:03 +0000

One of my favorite movies.

By: David Marcoe

David Marcoe — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:58:21 +0000

Yeah, I’ve seen that happen before. There was a Ranger and SF vet who apparently went off the deep end and became something of a known personality in conspiracy theorist community, publishing a newsletter and using his military background to make the tinfoil hat club think he knew all about what “really went on.” Sometimes good men just go sideways and lose it.

By: Floyd

Floyd — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:50:28 +0000

Ahhh.. that would good ole' Gen. Smedley Butler. An interesting character. Reitred after over 30 year Marine career and a shitload of medals and then promptly turned pacifist and that the USMC was a criminal thug racket for big business. He accused a bunch of business guys of approaching him to depose FDR and install a Fascist gov't. Everyone pretty much laughed him off... probably because more than a few New Dealers favored Mussolini anyway. I can only think that Lancaster's General Scott was in some way inspired by Smedley Butler.

By: David Marcoe

David Marcoe — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:45:15 +0000

Supposedly, GW’s grandfather worked with a group of other politically connected individuals to engineer of coup of FDR during the Great Depression. I’m not sure how accurate the story is, however.