BBC2 Talking Pictures 12:30

Prince MonaluluPrince Monalulu Posts: 35,900
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ps8jc or if you missed it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01ps8jc/Talking_Pictures_Bette_Davis/

Bette Davis
A retrospective look at television appearances made over the years by Hollywood legend Bette Davis, capturing the milestones and highlights of her life and career.


Which was followed by the rather odd, unsubtle film, Of Human Bondage with Bette and Leslie Howard.
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Comments

  • colgirlcolgirl Posts: 242
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    Just watched it on I player as there was a problem with my dvd player! Very interesting programme, is this going to be a series?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 6,900
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    colgirl wrote: »
    Just watched it on I player as there was a problem with my dvd player! Very interesting programme, is this going to be a series?

    Six part series. John Mills next week.
  • Prince MonaluluPrince Monalulu Posts: 35,900
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    colgirl wrote: »
    Just watched it on I player as there was a problem with my dvd player! Very interesting programme, is this going to be a series?

    Yeah 1 of 6, John Mills next week, don't know who the other 4 will be.
    I haven't watched it myself yet, downloaded it, it's a program well under the radar too.

    Edit: anyone else watch Of Human Bondage?
  • Prince MonaluluPrince Monalulu Posts: 35,900
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    Bumpity bump David Niven on now, always good value.
  • Doghouse RileyDoghouse Riley Posts: 32,491
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    It was interesting that Niven remarked that he thought that a lot of the current acting in films was crap, because it was crap on TV and as TV audiences didn't know any better, they got away with it.
    If he thought the acting in TV was crap in 1981, I shudder to think what he would have thought of the standard in "Silent Witness" last night.
  • StrakerStraker Posts: 79,567
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    Somewhat in contrast to his suave, debonair image, Niven was a legendary swordsman. Him and Errol Flynn must’ve been responsible for scores of illegitimate children in the 30s and 40s.

    Was odd watching the John Mills one last week with Sylvia Sims narrating. She was easily one of the most stunning women to ever live. I always thought if I met her I’d want to tell her that but how to do it without it coming across as slightly insulting for how time has ravaged her since then?

    Who’s on next week?
  • nick202nick202 Posts: 9,919
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    Straker wrote: »

    Was odd watching the John Mills one last week with Sylvia Sims narrating. She was easily one of the most stunning women to ever live. I always thought if I met her I’d want to tell her that but how to do it without it coming across as slightly insulting for how time has ravaged her since then?

    I know what you mean - she's almost completely unrecognisable now from what she used to look like, but an excellent actress nevertheless.
  • Prince MonaluluPrince Monalulu Posts: 35,900
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    Straker wrote: »
    Somewhat in contrast to his suave, debonair image, Niven was a legendary swordsman. Him and Errol Flynn must’ve been responsible for scores of illegitimate children in the 30s and 40s.

    Was odd watching the John Mills one last week with Sylvia Sims narrating. She was easily one of the most stunning women to ever live. I always thought if I met her I’d want to tell her that but how to do it without it coming across as slightly insulting for how time has ravaged her since then?

    Who’s on next week?

    How is being suave in contrast to sleeping with lots of women, I don't get it.
    Hey ho always liked Niven since I read his books as a teenager, so I enjoyed this, don't know why they're not on Iplayer, as I missed John Mills.

    Maybe she'd like to hear something about her acting or her personality instead of just her looks.
    Link a the top of the thread to the program.
  • Billy_ValueBilly_Value Posts: 22,919
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    found it rather boring thought it was gonna be a documentary
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 41,527
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    David Niven was never boring! He was such a great raconteur, his stories were always funny and interesting and I could listen to him for hours. I saw a Michael Parkinson show devoted to clips of David when he'd been a guest at various times and it was even better. Such a shame he developed Motor Neurone disease. Seeing the last clip of him in '81 was really sad, he had trouble talking and was so thin. Some people thought he was drunk and others thought he'd had a stroke.
  • Prince MonaluluPrince Monalulu Posts: 35,900
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    David Niven was never boring! He was such a great raconteur, his stories were always funny and interesting and I could listen to him for hours. I saw a Michael Parkinson show devoted to clips of David when he'd been a guest at various times and it was even better. Such a shame he developed Motor Neurone disease. Seeing the last clip of him in '81 was really sad, he had trouble talking and was so thin. Some people thought he was drunk and others thought he'd had a stroke.

    Oh Parkinson: The Interviews, I've got that too.
    Oh BBC4 collections for anyone who hasn't seen the bit n bobs they've got out of the archive.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/collections/p00p2k2v/talk
    get_iplayer downloads them if you're that way inclined.
    The full Bronowski interview is there too, was never broadcast in it's entirety apparently.

    Oh Picture Parade with Joan Crawford is rather creepy for some reason.
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 41,527
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    Oh Parkinson: The Interviews, I've got that too.
    Oh BBC4 collections for anyone who hasn't seen the bit n bobs they've got out of the archive.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/collections/p00p2k2v/talk
    get_iplayer downloads them if you're that way inclined.
    The full Bronowski interview is there too, was never broadcast in it's entirety apparently.

    Oh Picture Parade with Joan Crawford is rather creepy for some reason.

    Yes, Parkinson: The Interviews, that was it. I saw the whole series, very entertaining.

    Thanks for the link, PM. I'll have a look when I get a moment.
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 41,527
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    Just checked to see who's on next week and bloody Eastenders is in that time slot.
  • colgirlcolgirl Posts: 242
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    Just checked to see who's on next week and bloody Eastenders is in that time slot.

    So is that the end of the series? they've only had 3 shows so far, so surely not? I always tape them and watch them the same night.
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 41,527
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    colgirl wrote: »
    So is that the end of the series? they've only had 3 shows so far, so surely not? I always tape them and watch them the same night.

    I'm guessing it's back on in two weeks. The tv schedule says its the women's Australian Open tennis final until 11.30am with Map Man, Indian Food Made Easy and Eastenders at 12.30, Indoor Bowls at 2.25. As they've been having Talking Pictures then following it up with a film starring the subject of the show I suppose they thought they couldn't squeeze that into the schedule between the tennis and the bowls. I thought the EE omnibus had been moved to a late night/early morning slot on a friday night.
  • StrakerStraker Posts: 79,567
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    How is being suave in contrast to sleeping with lots of women, I don't get it.

    Maybe she'd like to hear something about her acting or her personality instead of just her looks..



    Is your default setting “antagonistic”? Seems to be from reading this and your other postings......

    My points were, his image of refined, urbane English gentleman is somewhat at odds with “rampant poon hound” as both Niven and Flynn most certainly were. Porn stars got less action than these two by all accounts. And secondly, is there a woman born who doesn’t welcome an appreciative comment on her looks?
  • Prince MonaluluPrince Monalulu Posts: 35,900
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    Straker wrote: »
    Is your default setting “antagonistic”? Seems to be from reading this and your other postings......

    My points were, his image of refined, urbane English gentleman is somewhat at odds with “rampant poon hound” as both Niven and Flynn most certainly were. Porn stars got less action than these two by all accounts. And secondly, is there a woman born who doesn’t welcome an appreciative comment on her looks?

    Pfffft, whatever.
  • Prince MonaluluPrince Monalulu Posts: 35,900
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    Bumpity bump back again this week, Gene Kelly.
    Been moved to 13:30 for some reason
  • Doghouse RileyDoghouse Riley Posts: 32,491
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    I've always admired Gene Kelly.

    He did far more for the image of male dancers amongst the male population than other slightly effeminate ones like Fred Astaire.
    Kelly was the sort of guy that if he said; "It's Wednesday," you wouldn't want to disagree with him.

    This is one of my favourite clips of him, with Sharon McManus, in "Anchors Aweigh!"


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzwecmd7_0M
  • QwertyGirl1771QwertyGirl1771 Posts: 4,472
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    I watched this with daughter then Anchors Aweigh. She normally has a moan about me watching old movies, but she was glued to the film and was quite surprised at Gene and Jerry Mouse dancing because she's seen that portrayed in Family Guy, with Stewie replacing Jerry. I love to watch a good old fashioned movie on a Saturday afternoon. Gene is just pure class when it comes to dance skills. They really don't make actors like him anymore.
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 41,527
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    Once again this has been postponed until next week. I don't know why there's been a gap of two weeks between episodes 3,4 and 5. They've got old Mastermind and old University Challenge on.

    Next week's ep is John Wayne.
  • StrakerStraker Posts: 79,567
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    This week’s was fascinating I thought. Made me realise I hadn’t seen Wayne interviewed that often (probably only on Parkinson) so it was a revelation to see the interviews from 1960 showing he wasn’t just some lunk who sleepwalked through his films, he really understood the characters he was playing and spoke eloquently and intelligently about them and the filmmaking process. Later interviews revealed some ill-advised political viewpoints and a begrudging acceptance of equal rights but I’d say out of all the subjects covered thus far in this series, today’s ep. shed the most new light on it’s subject for me. Fascinating as well seeing the behind the scenes footage of Siegel’s superb, The Shootist.
  • StrakerStraker Posts: 79,567
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    Nobody watching this series anymore? Pity as it was the best one in the run today - Tony Curtis aka Bernie Schwartz. A fascinating man, a fine actor and a raconteur to rival Ustinov and Fry IMO. The compilation of interviews today was almost entirely new to my eyes, his Parkinson appearances by far the most interesting of the bunch, Sadly the later interviews consisted mostly of Wogan appearances, yet again illustrating what a clod and buffoon the Irishman was wasting oppoutunities to get these great stars on the record in their final years preferring instead to act the tit in service of his own aggrandisement.

    He was a fine painter as well - I particularly liked the abstract figurative painting shown on the programme today. Reminded me of the brilliant work of Richard Powers.

    What a shame the BBC couldn’t scare up a decent Curtis flick to accompany the programme instead of the risible Black Shield of Falworth. Sweet Smell of Success would have been the obvious choice but no less brilliant for that.
  • logansdadlogansdad Posts: 1,068
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    Straker wrote: »
    This week’s was fascinating I thought. Made me realise I hadn’t seen Wayne interviewed that often (probably only on Parkinson) so it was a revelation to see the interviews from 1960 showing he wasn’t just some lunk who sleepwalked through his films, he really understood the characters he was playing and spoke eloquently and intelligently about them and the filmmaking process. Later interviews revealed some ill-advised political viewpoints and a begrudging acceptance of equal rights but I’d say out of all the subjects covered thus far in this series, today’s ep. shed the most new light on it’s subject for me. Fascinating as well seeing the behind the scenes footage of Siegel’s superb, The Shootist.

    Like you i was pleasantly surprised as to how Wayne spoke in real life. I've never seen interviews with him before, so he really came across as an intellegent film maker. I loved him adressing the hippys andgiving as good as he got. Came across as a true gent who could laugh at himself, a proper Hollywood icon.

    I've recorded todays one with Tony Curtis, looking forward to it.
  • Prince MonaluluPrince Monalulu Posts: 35,900
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    I'm still watching the series.
    Shame there wasn't more on John Wayne trying to justify the McCarthy witchhunt with someone who had the information to come back at him.
    He wasn't on the wrong end of 'reds under the bed' paranoia.
    There must have been some Barry Norman interviews in the archive those would have been interesting.
    Interesting series, stuck in the middle of nowhere with not enough material to satisfy me, really, wanted more.
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