Sidney Sheldon

On Jan 30, 11:26 pm, "Feuillade" <Feuill....RemoveThis@aol.com> wrote:
> On Jan 31, 2:17 am, "David Totheroh" <dtothe....RemoveThis@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > Sidney Sheldon, whose writing of 'The
> > Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer' won the
> > Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay over
> > Chaplin's 'Monsieur Verdoux,' has died.
>
> Jeannie will never come out of the bottle again. :(
>
> "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" isn't a bad script, but I might
> have given it to Chaplin.
>
> For those of you who are curious, I am going to spend February on my
> blog doing a decade-by-decade breakdown (starting in 1934) of which
> films I think should have won the Best Picture Oscar, and why.
>
> http://celticprogressive.blogspot.com/
>
> It might even inspire some debate. And it'll be a nice change from
> beating up on a dead presidency...

Yeah, but it doesn't hold a candle to advocating the elevation of
Rollie Totheroh's work over Karl Struss' as superior lighting design.
 >> Stay informed about: Sidney Sheldon 

On Jan 31, 2:43 am, "David Totheroh" <dtothe... RemoveThis @aol.com> wrote:
> On Jan 30, 11:26 pm, "Feuillade" <Feuill... RemoveThis @aol.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jan 31, 2:17 am, "David Totheroh" <dtothe... RemoveThis @aol.com> wrote:
>
> > > Sidney Sheldon, whose writing of 'The
> > > Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer' won the
> > > Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay over
> > > Chaplin's 'Monsieur Verdoux,' has died.
>
> > Jeannie will never come out of the bottle again. :(
>
> > "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" isn't a bad script, but I might
> > have given it to Chaplin.
>
> > For those of you who are curious, I am going to spend February on my
> > blog doing a decade-by-decade breakdown (starting in 1934) of which
> > films I think should have won the Best Picture Oscar, and why.
>
> >http://celticprogressive.blogspot.com/
>
> > It might even inspire some debate. And it'll be a nice change from
> > beating up on a dead presidency...
>
> Yeah, but it doesn't hold a candle to advocating the elevation of
> Rollie Totheroh's work over Karl Struss' as superior lighting design.
>
Speaking of that, has anyone taken a look at teh films that Struss
shot right before and right after "The Great Dictator" to see what the
lighting design looks like?

Was he a Toland-esque DP whose style is immediately apparent no matter
who the director is, or was he a guy who would change his style from
shoot to shoot, depending on the necessities of the particular
project?

Tom Moran
 >> Stay informed about: Sidney Sheldon 

On Jan 30, 11:17�pm, "David Totheroh" <dtothe....DeleteThis@aol.com> wrote:
> Sidney Sheldon, whose writing of 'The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer'
> won the Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay over Chaplin's 'Monsieur
> Verdoux,' has died.

Bob Carroll Jt. (I LOVE LUCY) died also. Not a good day for
writers.
 >> Stay informed about: Sidney Sheldon 

On Jan 31, 2:06 pm, "Richard Carnahan" <rfcsac6... RemoveThis @aol.com> wrote:
> On Jan 30, 11:17?pm, "David Totheroh" <dtothe... RemoveThis @aol.com> wrote:
>
> > Sidney Sheldon, whose writing of 'The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer'
> > won the Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay over Chaplin's 'Monsieur
> > Verdoux,' has died.
>
> Bob Carroll Jt. (I LOVE LUCY) died also. Not a good day for
> writers.

At least the two of them lived to a ripe old age.

Tom Moran
 >> Stay informed about: Sidney Sheldon 

On Jan 31, 10:21 am, "Feuillade" <Feuill....DeleteThis@aol.com> wrote:
> On Jan 31, 2:43 am, "David Totheroh" <dtothe....DeleteThis@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > On Jan 30, 11:26 pm, "Feuillade" <Feuill....DeleteThis@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > > On Jan 31, 2:17 am, "David Totheroh" <dtothe....DeleteThis@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > > > Sidney Sheldon, whose writing of 'The
> > > > Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer' won the
> > > > Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay over
> > > > Chaplin's 'Monsieur Verdoux,' has died.
>
> > > Jeannie will never come out of the bottle again. :(
>
> > > "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" isn't a bad script, but I might
> > > have given it to Chaplin.
>
> > > For those of you who are curious, I am going to spend February on my
> > > blog doing a decade-by-decade breakdown (starting in 1934) of which
> > > films I think should have won the Best Picture Oscar, and why.
>
> > >http://celticprogressive.blogspot.com/
>
> > > It might even inspire some debate. And it'll be a nice change from
> > > beating up on a dead presidency...
>
> > Yeah, but it doesn't hold a candle to advocating the elevation of
> > Rollie Totheroh's work over Karl Struss' as superior lighting design.
>
> Speaking of that, has anyone taken a look at teh films that Struss
> shot right before and right after "The Great Dictator" to see what the
> lighting design looks like?
>
> Was he a Toland-esque DP whose style is immediately apparent no matter
> who the director is, or was he a guy who would change his style from
> shoot to shoot, depending on the necessities of the particular
> project?

That's a very good question. But since my repeated requests for
evidence or examples even from just within the Chaplin canon itself
were continually ignored, I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.
 >> Stay informed about: Sidney Sheldon 

On Jan 31, 11:57�am, "Feuillade" <Feuill... DeleteThis @aol.com> wrote:
> On Jan 31, 2:06 pm, "Richard Carnahan" <rfcsac6... DeleteThis @aol.com> wrote:
>
> > On Jan 30, 11:17?pm, "David Totheroh" <dtothe... DeleteThis @aol.com> wrote:
>
> > > Sidney Sheldon, whose writing of 'The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer'
> > > won the Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay over Chaplin's 'Monsieur
> > > Verdoux,' has died.
>
> >   Bob Carroll Jt. (I LOVE LUCY) died also.  Not a good day for
> > writers.
>
> At least the two of them lived to a ripe old age.
>
> Tom Moran

Yes, but I just heard that Molly Ivins has died, too. At 62 that's
too damn young.
 >> Stay informed about: Sidney Sheldon 

On Jan 31, 8:40 pm, "David Totheroh" <dtothe....RemoveThis@aol.com> wrote:
> On Jan 31, 10:21 am, "Feuillade" <Feuill....RemoveThis@aol.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jan 31, 2:43 am, "David Totheroh" <dtothe....RemoveThis@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > > On Jan 30, 11:26 pm, "Feuillade" <Feuill....RemoveThis@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > > > On Jan 31, 2:17 am, "David Totheroh" <dtothe....RemoveThis@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > > > > Sidney Sheldon, whose writing of 'The
> > > > > Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer' won the
> > > > > Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay over
> > > > > Chaplin's 'Monsieur Verdoux,' has died.
>
> > > > Jeannie will never come out of the bottle again. :(
>
> > > > "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" isn't a bad script, but I might
> > > > have given it to Chaplin.
>
> > > > For those of you who are curious, I am going to spend February on my
> > > > blog doing a decade-by-decade breakdown (starting in 1934) of which
> > > > films I think should have won the Best Picture Oscar, and why.
>
> > > >http://celticprogressive.blogspot.com/
>
> > > > It might even inspire some debate. And it'll be a nice change from
> > > > beating up on a dead presidency...
>
> > > Yeah, but it doesn't hold a candle to advocating the elevation of
> > > Rollie Totheroh's work over Karl Struss' as superior lighting design.
>
> > Speaking of that, has anyone taken a look at teh films that Struss
> > shot right before and right after "The Great Dictator" to see what the
> > lighting design looks like?
>
> > Was he a Toland-esque DP whose style is immediately apparent no matter
> > who the director is, or was he a guy who would change his style from
> > shoot to shoot, depending on the necessities of the particular
> > project?
>
> That's a very good question. But since my repeated requests for
> evidence or examples even from just within the Chaplin canon itself
> were continually ignored, I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.
>
I was surprised that his credits immediately before and immediately
after "The Great Dictator" are fairly pedestrian.

Immediately before:

The Star Maker (1939)
Island of Lost Men (1939)
Some Like It Hot (1939)
.... aka Rhythm Romance (USA: reissue title)
Zenobia (1939)
.... aka Elephants Never Forget (UK)
.... aka It's Spring Again (USA)
Paris Honeymoon (1939)
Thanks for the Memory (1938/II)
Sing You Sinners (1938)
Every Day's a Holiday (1937)
Thunder Trail (1937)
.... aka Thunder Pass
Double or Nothing (1937)
Mountain Music (1937)
Waikiki Wedding (1937)
Let's Make a Million (1936)
Go West Young Man (1936)
Hollywood Boulevard (1936)
Rhythm on the Range (1936)
Too Many Parents (1936)
Preview Murder Mystery (1936)
Anything Goes (1936)

And immediately after:

Bring on the Girls (1945)
Rainbow Island (1944)
Fun Time (1944)
.... aka Musical Parade: Fun Time (USA: series title)
And the Angels Sing (1944)
Riding High (1943)
.... aka Melody Inn (UK)
Journey Into Fear (1943) (director of photography)
Happy Go Lucky (1943)
Aloma of the South Seas (1941)
Caught in the Draft (1941)

A pretty eclectic group, but aside from "Journey Into Fear" I don't
see anything all that interesting.

Tom Moran
 >> Stay informed about: Sidney Sheldon 

On Feb 1, 8:58�am, d....RemoveThis@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Constance Kuriyama)
wrote:
> "Feuillade" (Feuill...@aol.com) writes:
> > On Jan 31, 8:40 pm, "David Totheroh" <dtothe....RemoveThis@aol.com> wrote:
> >> On Jan 31, 10:21 am, "Feuillade" <Feuill....RemoveThis@aol.com> wrote:
>
> >> > On Jan 31, 2:43 am, "David Totheroh" <dtothe....RemoveThis@aol.com> wrote:
>
> >> > > On Jan 30, 11:26 pm, "Feuillade" <Feuill....RemoveThis@aol.com> wrote:
>
> >> > > > On Jan 31, 2:17 am, "David Totheroh" <dtothe....RemoveThis@aol.com> wrote:
>
> >> > > > > Sidney Sheldon, whose writing of 'The
> >> > > > > Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer' won the
> >> > > > > Oscar=AE for Best Original Screenplay over
> >> > > > > Chaplin's 'Monsieur  Verdoux,' has died.
>
> >> > > > Jeannie will never come out of the bottle again. :(
>
> >> > > > "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" isn't a bad script, but I might
> >> > > > have given it to Chaplin.
>
> >> > > > For those of you who are curious, I am going to spend February on my
> >> > > > blog doing a decade-by-decade breakdown (starting in 1934) of which
> >> > > > films I think should have won the Best Picture Oscar, and why.
>
> >> > > >http://celticprogressive.blogspot.com/
>
> >> > > > It might even inspire some debate.  And it'll be a nice change from
> >> > > > beating up on a dead presidency...
>
> >> > > Yeah, but it doesn't hold a candle to advocating the elevation of
> >> > > Rollie Totheroh's work over Karl Struss' as superior lighting design.
>
> >> > Speaking of that, has anyone taken a look at teh films that Struss
> >> > shot right before and right after "The Great Dictator" to see what the
> >> > lighting design looks like?
>
> >> > Was he a Toland-esque DP whose style is immediately apparent no matter
> >> > who the director is, or was he a guy who would change his style from
> >> > shoot to shoot, depending on the necessities of the particular
> >> > project?
>
> >> That's a very good question. But since my repeated requests for
> >> evidence or examples even from just within the Chaplin canon itself
> >> were continually ignored, I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.
>
> > I was surprised that his credits immediately before and immediately
> > after "The Great Dictator" are fairly pedestrian.
>
> > Immediately before:
>
> > The Star Maker (1939)
> > Island of Lost Men (1939)
> > Some Like It Hot (1939)
> > .=2E. aka Rhythm Romance (USA: reissue title)
> > Zenobia (1939)
> > .=2E. aka Elephants Never Forget (UK)
> > .=2E. aka It's Spring Again (USA)
> > Paris Honeymoon (1939)
> > Thanks for the Memory (1938/II)
> > Sing You Sinners (1938)
> > Every Day's a Holiday (1937)
> > Thunder Trail (1937)
> > .=2E. aka Thunder Pass
> > Double or Nothing (1937)
> > Mountain Music (1937)
> > Waikiki Wedding (1937)
> > Let's Make a Million (1936)
> > Go West Young Man (1936)
> > Hollywood Boulevard (1936)
> > Rhythm on the Range (1936)
> > Too Many Parents (1936)
> > Preview Murder Mystery (1936)
> > Anything Goes (1936)
>
> > And immediately after:
>
> > Bring on the Girls (1945)
> > Rainbow Island (1944)
> > Fun Time (1944)
> > .=2E. aka Musical Parade: Fun Time (USA: series title)
> > And the Angels Sing (1944)
> > Riding High (1943)
> > .=2E. aka Melody Inn (UK)
> > Journey Into Fear (1943) (director of photography)
> > Happy Go Lucky (1943)
> > Aloma of the South Seas (1941)
> > Caught in the Draft (1941)
>
> > A pretty eclectic group, but aside from "Journey Into Fear" I don't
> > see anything all that interesting.
>
> > Tom Moran
>
> I am not in the least surprised, since "pedestrian" is exactly the
> word I used to describe the cinematography of the Chaplin films in
> which Struss was involved.
>
> I suspect Chaplin hired Struss because Struss had the reputation of being
> adept at all the most current techniques.  Chaplin was stung by comments
> that his films looked "old fashioned," and he thought hiring Struss
> would make his films look more like the current studio product.
>
> Unfortunately, it did.
>
> Connie K.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I see that Struss photographed several of Mary Pickford and D.W.
Griffith's later films--must have been how Chaplin was introduced to
him--and also Rouben Mamoulian's dazzling 1931 DR. JEKYLL AND MR.
HYDE, before slipping into mostly B pictures. He ended his career as
director of photography on some guilty pleasures of my youth:
ROCKETSHIP X-M, KRONOS and THE FLY.
 >> Stay informed about: Sidney Sheldon 

On Feb 1, 8:58 am, d....TakeThisOut@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Constance Kuriyama)
wrote:

> I suspect Chaplin hired Struss because Struss had the reputation of being
> adept at all the most current techniques. Chaplin was stung by comments
> that his films looked "old fashioned," and he thought hiring Struss
> would make his films look more like the current studio product.
>
> Unfortunately, it did.


Struss' filmography shows that he could deliver whatever "look" a
director or producer would ask for, whether it be something clean and
straightforward (ZENOBIA) or darkly stylish (JOURNEY INTO FEAR). For
all we know, Rollie may have been just as capable a cinematographer,
but Chaplin only wanted one simple style from him. Struss came aboard
and gave the boss the same look, because regardless of who was behind
the camera, Chaplin wanted the same straightforward style.

He reminds me of the guys that buy all-terrain 4-wheel-drive SUVs,
and then never take them off the freeway.



--Shush--
 >> Stay informed about: Sidney Sheldon 

Speaking of death, look who else happened to die (like Chaplin) on
Christmas Day:

Harry Myers, 1938 (co-star in CITY LIGHTS)
Agnes Ayres, 1940 (appeared with CC in 1917 charity baseball game)
Charles Pathe, 1957 (produced Max Linder's early films, credited as
inspirations to CC)

Not to mention Hollywood contemporaries W.C. Fields (1946) and Joan
Blondell (1979).


--Shush--



--Shush--
 >> Stay informed about: Sidney Sheldon 

On Feb 1, 10:23�am, "Shush" <shushfilmseznos... RemoveThis @yahoo.com> wrote:
>    Speaking of death, look who else happened to die (like Chaplin) on
> Christmas Day:
>
> Harry Myers, 1938 (co-star in CITY LIGHTS)
> Agnes Ayres, 1940 (appeared with CC in 1917 charity baseball game)
> Charles Pathe, 1957 (produced Max Linder's early films, credited as
> inspirations to CC)
>
>    Not to mention Hollywood contemporaries W.C. Fields (1946) and Joan
> Blondell (1979).
>
> --Shush--
>
And Howard Hawks--along with CC a member of Andrew Sarris's pantheon
of great directors--died the day after Chaplin.
 >> Stay informed about: Sidney Sheldon 

On Feb 1, 9:56 am, "Shush" <shushfilmseznos... RemoveThis @yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Feb 1, 8:58 am, d... RemoveThis @FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Constance Kuriyama)
> wrote:
>
> > I suspect Chaplin hired Struss because Struss had the reputation of being
> > adept at all the most current techniques. Chaplin was stung by comments
> > that his films looked "old fashioned," and he thought hiring Struss
> > would make his films look more like the current studio product.
>
> > Unfortunately, it did.
>
> Struss' filmography shows that he could deliver whatever "look" a
> director or producer would ask for, whether it be something clean and
> straightforward (ZENOBIA) or darkly stylish (JOURNEY INTO FEAR). For
> all we know, Rollie may have been just as capable a cinematographer,
> but Chaplin only wanted one simple style from him. Struss came aboard
> and gave the boss the same look, because regardless of who was behind
> the camera, Chaplin wanted the same straightforward style.
>
> He reminds me of the guys that buy all-terrain 4-wheel-drive SUVs,
> and then never take them off the freeway.

All interesting observations. But if Chaplin was ultimately
responsible for the "look" of his films, and Struss was directed to
produce that same look, it doesn't explain the alleged drop off in
quality some claim to see after City Lights.
 >> Stay informed about: Sidney Sheldon 

On 1 Feb 2007 10:23:30 -0800, "Shush" <shushfilmseznospam.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Speaking of death, look who else happened to die (like Chaplin) on
>Christmas Day:
>
>Harry Myers, 1938 (co-star in CITY LIGHTS)
>Agnes Ayres, 1940 (appeared with CC in 1917 charity baseball game)
She's also an extra in 'His New Job'.

>Charles Pathe, 1957 (produced Max Linder's early films, credited as
>inspirations to CC)
>
> Not to mention Hollywood contemporaries W.C. Fields (1946) and Joan
>Blondell (1979).
>
>
>--Shush--
>
>
>
>--Shush--
 >> Stay informed about: Sidney Sheldon