TCM iPhone App

Turner Classic Movies came out with an iPhone app a few months ago and I was super excited to get it. It would be a little TCM that I could take with me everywhere I go. So I shelled out the $2.99 for it as soon as it hit the App Store and downloaded it on to my iPhone. What I thought would be a portable TCM.com turned out to be something completely different.

I equate the TCM iPhone app to going on a date with a really hot guy only to have your mother come along. While it's a great opportunity to hang out with that guy you've been lusting after, the date would be a million times better if mom wasn't around watching your every move. And if there is a second date, chances are it will be better and sans mom.

The app could be a lot more enjoyable if they opened up the possibilities but instead they restrict, restrict, restrict. This app could go from sucky to awesome if they added just one function: Search.

Let's take a little tour of the App.

The Home page highlights the four major sections (Schedule, Video, Photos and Blog) and includes a banner above showcasing that month's theme. It's updated regularly and each item is always the newest for each section. A click (tap) on the arrow button brings you to another screen with the full content.

If you watch TCM religiously, the Schedule feature is pretty nice. You can view all the films that will be shown within the next 7 days and you can click/tap through to any given film for more information. You can also view what's showing during the next two months. You can even set it to your time zone or switch to Canada for their listings. It won't however allow you to set reminders or alerts for future showings. 

Let's say you really wanted to watch Horse Feathers (1932) (which seems to be on heavy rotation on TCM lately). A click through to the information page gives you pretty much all the info the film's TCMDB page would have: An overview, TCM article, Video, Notes, Full Credits, Full Synopsis and even user comments.

 

Video section gives you a select showcase of widescreen videos, trailers, movie clips and promos. TCM picks the videos based on the current and upcoming schedule.

Now we come to the Photo section which features a regularly changing list of images from lobby cards, posters, press books, production photos and publicity photos. TCM picks the images based on the current and upcoming schedule. You can't search for pics or do anything with them other than look.

Finally, there is the Blog section. Don't get too excited, it's only the Movie Morlocks blog. This is probably the most useful section because it's a regular updated feed of the highly active official TCM blog. You can get a full RSS of the blog anywhere else but here. However, you can only view the last 10 postings. 

What you can't do on the app:

1) SEARCH for films, photos, videos or anything AT ALL!
2) Set reminders/alerts for future showings of films
3) Play games.
4) Send any of the info, video, pictures, etc. to yourself or to a friend via any sharing method (email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
5) Download any pictures to your phone (most apps won't let you do that anyways).
6) Read biographies on stars or directors
7) View Archives of the Movie Morlocks Blog

I don't think the TCM app is going to change any time soon but it would be worth their investment to enhance the app with search functionality. It would even be worth paying $4.99 instead of $2.99. As it stands, the TCM app doesn't seem complete. If you are hesitant to pay money for an app, I would suggest downloading the free IMDB app instead (which has Search functionality) and accessing TCDMB through Safari. But if you are a super TCM freak/addict who happens to be glued to your iPhone (or iTouch or maybe even iPad), this app may be worth your while.

Anyone else have this app? Thoughts on it?

And thanks to @AddieReed who asked about this app on Twitter which inspired me to do this post.

Full Disclosure: I bought this app for my iPhone.

Robert Mitchum Portraits

These lovely scans of Robert Mitchum come via Kate Gabrielle who hails from the blog Silents and Talkies (as well as many other blogs too). She took them from the book Film Star Portraits of the Fiities by John Kobal. Thanks Kate!

If you have anything you want to submit to the It's a Veritable Robert Mitchum Explosion series, please feel free. I'll take whatever you throw at me as long as it basks in Robert Mitchum's awesomeness.

An E-mail, Price Mitchum & how blogging is changing my life

Something amazing happened on Saturday. I got an e-mail from none other than Robert Mitchum's eldest son, James Mitchum. THE James Mitchum. I've written about him before if you recall. He starred with his dad in the film Thunder Road (1958) and I shared some screen shots to demonstrate how much James resembled his father. As it turns out, his brother, Christopher Mitchum, saw some of my posts (i.e. The Case of the Robert Mitchum Look-A-Like and Robert Mitchum is Dead) and forwarded my blog to James. James sent me a lovely e-mail which I proceded read over and over and over again. In the e-mail, he mentions that his son Price Mitchum is an up-and-coming actor studying in LA. I looked him up online and Price has the characteristic Mitchum look. He's going to be a heartbreaker for sure. (Go to my Tumblr heckyeahrobertmitchum to see a photo of Price).

Words cannot express how happy I am that both of Robert Mitchum's sons have read some of my posts!

This is not the first time I've been contacted by family members of a classic Hollywood star. The grandsons of Charles Emmett Mack (McNerney) have both written to me. Back in November, I sort of took Charles Emmett Mack on as a pet project. So little is known about him and so few people recognize the name. I wanted to change that! I started watching as many of his movies as I could and I'm still on the search for the Holy Grail which is a biographical article in Motion Picture Classics magazine. I love talking to Michael and I hope one day I can find some more information on Mack so I can help Michael and his brother learn more about their grandfather.

I guess it goes to show that when you share something in a public space, people take notice. When people read my posts and contact me directly, it makes me want to watch more classic films, do more research and write more posts. You spur me on. You are changing my life. And I just want to say: Thank You!

Robert Mitchum Video #6 ~ Mitchum on What's My Line?

Robert Mitchum was known amongst his drinking buddies as a great impersonator. He had an art for doing impressions and various accents and voices (although he couldn't quite master the Irish accent or the Boston accent in movies such as Ryan's Daughter and The Friends of Eddie Coyle, respectively). This is a cute clip in which you see Mitchum do various voices. Notice that he sort of plugs his Calypso album?! Enjoy.

Robert Mitchum is Dead

Well deh.

People have been talking about a Norwegian film entitled Robert Mitchum is Dead. The film will premiere on May 15th at the Cannes Film Festival. What is the movie about? I have no idea! What does it have to do with Robert Mitchum? Beats me!


After some research, the only description I could find was this one from Yahoo! Movies:

Franky is an actor suffering from insomnia. Franky is his manager Arsene's friend, spiritual son and source of income. When Arsene steals a car and takes Franky to the Arctic Circle under the pretence that the two are going to meet a famous director shooting an American film there, an adventurous journey ensues across Europe as Franky has problems distinguishing between what's real and what's not. 

As my good friend Jonas can attest, Norwegians are strange! But is it Norwegian? It's filmed by a Norwegian company, in Poland and the dialogue is in French. Really? I feel a headache coming on.

After even more research, I found a whole bunch of clips online. Here is one. Here is another. Here is one more. Can you make sense of it? Is it called "Robert Mitchum is Dead" because that is a truth and the film is trying to show a truth? That's the best I can do because otherwise this goes right over my head.

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Regardless of the movie, Robert Mitchum really is dead. He passed away on July 1st, 1997 from lung cancer and emphysema. He had been sick for some time but it was only the spring of 1997 in which doctors had diagnosed him with lung cancer. Robert Mitchum had been smoking cigarettes for many years, as one can tell from his incessant smoking in films such as Out of the Past (1947). In his last months, his illness caused him to deteriorate so quickly that he became unrecognizable. He died peacefully at his home, his wife Dorothy by his side.

On July 2nd, 1997, Robert Mitchum's death made headlines. His death was eclipsed by Jimmy Stewart who passed away on July 2nd, the day after Mitchum, and the newspaper headlines and TV reports that followed focused even more on the uber-famous Jimmy. Mitchum was cremated and his ashes were scattered over the Pacific ocean. Only his wife, a few family members and one close friend, actress Jane Russell, were present at the quiet ceremony.

God Speed Robert Mitchum.

Robert Mitchum Video #5 ~ Mitchum on the Dick Cavett Show

This is a really great interview with Robert Mitchum done by the legendary Dick Cavett. It's pretty clear that Cavett is a bit afraid of bad boy Robert Mitchum. Mitchum was such a great storyteller though and Cavett really brought that out of the people he interviewed, by asking the right questions and allowing the interviewee to go on rants but also keeping them on track.

While this is only a clip, you can watch the entire interview in The Dick Cavett Show: Hollywood Greats .

heckyeahrobertmitchum Tumblr & a Q&A with James Mitchum

New on Tumblr is a heckyeahrobertmichum blog created by yours truly. If you are not familiar with Tumblr, it's a blogging service that lends itself to multimedia streaming and reblogging/sharing. heckyeahrobertmitchum will feature photographs, quotes, links, videos, etc. on all things Robert Mitchum. heckyeah and f***yeah Tumblr blogs are really popular. Almost every actor/actress has one up, but sadly there wasn't one for Robert Mitchum! So if you want an extra dose of It's a Veritable Robert Mitchum Explosion, make sure you pay a visit to heckyeahrobertmitchum.

Also, I recently found this lovely Q&A with Robert Mitchum's son James Mitchum on the Knox News website. It's from 2008 on the 50th anniversary of the movie Thunder Road (1958). James Mitchum touches upon working with his dad, getting to know Elvis Presley, Moonshine, his acting career, etc. He's pretty straightforward about his dad being more a male figure in his life than a father figure. This interview is definitely worth a read. It's interesting to note that James Mitchum owns the rights to Thunder Road and a remake is in the works. Since Mitchum has some control over the property, I'm sure it'll be better than most remakes of classic films.

Robert Mitchum Video #4 ~ The Night of the Hunter (1955)

The famous scene from The Night of the Hunter (1955) in which Robert Mitchum's character Harry Powell tells the story of Love versus Hate (Good versus Evil) using the tattoos on his knuckles and by dueling with his fists. This scene has become iconic in film history and is referenced in Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing (1989).

#drinkpeople

I had some fun yesterday with the Twitter hashtag that was making the rounds yesterday. The goal is to take a person's name and turn it into a pun using a beverage. People came up with great ones including Oprah Whiskey, Hot Cocoa Chanel (@modcloth), Vodka Mortensen (@d_whiteplume) and Betty White Russian (@tommysalami). I tried to stick to classic film stars as much as I could. Here is what I came up with. Some are clever and some are just a real stretch. I did have fun with this and I encourage you to share any that you can come up with here or on Twitter. You can find me there @quellelove .

Raquel Welch's Grape Juice

Margarita Hayworth

Lizbeth Scott-ch and Soda

Scotch on the Rocks Hudson
Doris Daiquiri

Shirley Temple

Bloody Mary Astor

Nat King Colada

Dean Martini

Marlon Brandy

Jack Daniels Nicholson

Ginger Beer Rogers (or Ginger Ale Rogers)

Mountain Drew Barrymore

Iced Tea Leoni

Jack Lemmonade

Dean Jigger

Gin and Tonic Randall

Laurence Olive Martini

Ocean Sp-Ray Milland

Gordon MacRye Whiskey

Gin Lockhart and Gin Arthur and Gin Simmons and Gin Crain 

(Gene Jean and Jeanne)

Lauren Bacardi

Gene Iced Tierney

Mint Julep Christie

Vermouth Hussey (Ruth)

Deborah Side-Kerr (Sidecar)

Ann Miller Lite
Granita Page

Robert Mitchum Video #3 ~ Calypso is Like So... Playlist

If you are not at least somewhat amused by this album, you have no soul. My favorites are "Coconut Water" and "From a Logical Point of View". Some lyrical gems include:

from a logical point of view
better marry a woman uglier than you
from a logical point of view
always marry a woman uglier than you


an ugly woman give you your meals on time
and try to make comfortable in mind
a time when you lie sick in your cozy bed 
she will both caress you and scratch your head


Fill yourself a glass of coconut water, sit back and enjoy the album in its entirety.

Robert Mitchum sings... Calypso?!

All you need to record a Calypso album is a bottle of rum and a hot chick. Right?

The last thing you think of when the name "Robert Mitchum" comes to mind is Calypso music. That along with puppies, rainbows and soft fluffy clouds. This big lug of a man didn't seem quite suited to the fun and lively rhythms of the Calypso beat. Yet in 1957, Capitol Records gave the world Robert Mitchum's album "Calypso is Like So...".

In 1956, Mitchum had taken a much needed vacation in Trinidad and Tobago. As an actor, Mitchum was a workhorse, doing film after film after film and he rejected the Hollywood lifestyle. So his work could get to him sometimes and he  really needed the type of escape that only the Caribbean could provide. After his jaunt, he returned to the States and was so excited about all the Calypso music he had heard while away that he hit up singer-songwriter Johnny Mercer with the idea of doing a Calypso album. Mercer had referred him to Capitol Records.

You may be asking yourself why a big-wig like Capitol Records would agree to a Mitchum Calypso album? They were already salivating over the idea of a Mitchum music album to capitalize on his stardom. Also, another actor, Harry Belafonte, had done a Calypso album that was a hit on the airwaves. Big name star. Popular type of music. Ka-ching Ka-ching.

In March of 1957, Mitchum hit the studio to record the album. Capitol Records got a motley crew of songwriters, back-up singers and musicians to help Mitchum create "Calypso is Like So...". While Mitchum did a good job capturing the stereotypical Caribbean accent (whatever that is) and singing the Calypso songs with a lively air, the album flopped. No worries though. Mitchum was at the top of his game as an actor in Hollywood and a little Calypso album wasn't going to impede that.

Stay tuned because my next post will include music from Mitchum's foray into Calypso.

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retold from an excerpt of Lee Server's biography Robert Mitchum: Baby I Don't Care

Extra note: The lady on the cover of Mitchum's album was intended to look vaguely Caribbean (dark) but still be accepted to a Caucasian audience (not too dark).

James Mitchum in Thunder Road (1958)

Robert Mithcum's oldest son, James Mitchum, had a difficult time developing a career as an actor. It didn't help that he looked so much like his father who at that point had a very recognizable face and a well-established acting career. If you take a look at the pictures below, you'll see why. James had his father's sad eyes, square face, pouty lips and even his dimpled chin! These are screen caps taken from James Mitchum's screen debut in Thunder Road (1958).

Robert Mitchum Video #2 ~ "The Ballad of Thunder Road"

The theme song of Thunder Road (1958) was co-written and sung by Robert Mitchum.

Thunder Road (1958)

Thunder Road (1958) has one of the most interesting backstories of all the films Robert Mitchum made in his long career as an actor. It's not as dramatic as perhaps the one for Out of the Past (1947) which starts with a plane crash, but it's still full of juicy bits of trivia that will keep any film buff entertained.

Thunder Road is a Robert Mitchum production. For some time, Mitchum had played with the idea of writing a story about moonshiners. He wanted to create an adventure story that dealt with the illegal production and distribution of moonshine in the South and the prosecution of the moonshiners by government officials. Mitchum singled out the town of Asheville, North Carolina as the perfect place to base the story and shoot the film and he almost singlehandedly put this film together.

After doing extensive research for the story, he began collecting the people who would help him make the film. First there was screenwriter James Atlee Philips who was enthusiastic to work with Mitchum on the screenplay and also had a connection with the government tax office. Then came Mitchum targeted Arthur Ripley to be the director of the film. Ripley had a reputation for being super efficient and shooting whole films in 3-5 days. Mitchum chose Ripley because he saw one of his films a long time ago and liked it very much indeed (not that he could remember which one). Mitchum's choice seems an odd one, especially considering how Mitchum was so laid back in his work style and never much cared for deadlines or schedules.

Mitchum then set his eye on, of all people, Elvis Presley! He wanted the 22 year old to play the character of Robin Doolin, Mitchum's character's younger brother. Presley was a big fan of Mitchum and even modelled his famous pompadour hairstyle after Mitchum's wavy locks. Despite Presley's interest in the project, Presley insisted that Mitchum discuss the matter with his manage, the infamous Colonel Tom Parker. Mitchum wanted to deal with Presley directly and even invited Presley to the Mitchum house to have dinner and share stories to kind of woo him into the project. But Presley left things with his manager, who demanded the King be paid a salary that ended up being more than the film's entire budget. Mitchum, not one for dealing with managers or with Hollywood politics, decided to use his own son, James Mitchum, in the role instead.

Mitchum's next target was singer Keely Smith.He had heard one of her records and was very impressed. She had very little to no acting talent but Mitchum wasn't fazed by this. He had to have her in the movie and that's how it was going to be. Keely Smith playing the part of singer/love interest. The music part of the movie was very important to Mitchum. He cowrote two songs for the film. "The Ballad of Thunder Road" is the theme of the movie shown during the opening credits. Mitchum sang the ballad and it was so popular it even made it onto the pop charts! Another song, "The Whippoorwill" based on a poem, was sung by Keely Smith.

Once Mitchum had arranged the cast of characters that would bring his film to life, he and his crew headed to Asheville, NC for several weeks of filming. The local women were delirious with delight over the big movie star being in town. Mitchum was a notorious womanizer and he had the pick of the litter. He didn't even have to pursue, they came to him. His wife Dorothy had come to stay with him for a while during shooting. After a weekend of hardcover drinking, Mitchum woke up to see a strange woman in his bed. In a panic, he rushes out of the room and out of the house, leaving behind a beloved watch which was a gift from his wife and had been inscribed with his name and a personal message.. He knew he would be in the dog house with his wife if he didn't find that watch. That morning, Dorothy surprises him by handing him the missing watch.Turns out he had left it on their bedstand. The strange woman was really his wife!

Robert Mitchum wore many hats for this film including that of writer, researcher, sometimes director, producer, casting director, lyricist and singer. On top of all this, he also starred in the film. After years of being under the creative restraints of the eccentric Howard Hughes, Mitchum was finally free to be creatively independent. Thunder Road is a shining example of how versatile and talented Robert Mitchum could be.

Ryan's Daughter (1970) and the merits of CGI

My friend Kirk and I were discussing the merits of CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) in film. He prefers films with lots of action and a good amount of CGI whereas I prefer realism and a good story. I scoffed at Kirk for liking pretty fluff instead of a movie that had more meat in it. With the success of Avatar (2009), many of us classic film fans are retreating into our lairs and consoling ourselves with our precious old movies. All this fancy technology, seems to be taking away the merits of intelligent stories, witty dialogue and good old-fashioned plot development. The only CGI-laden film that I've really enjoyed was 300 (2006) mostly because of my interest in mythology, the graphic novel's influence on the book industry and how the film upheld the traditions of ancient storytelling (repetition, grandiose language, emphasis on immortality, pride and patriotism, etc.). But otherwise, CGI is a hard sell for me.

Over the weekend, I went to a late night showing of a documentary and the trailer for Ironman 2 (2010) was shown. And then something clicked. I finally understood. Anyone who goes to see Ironman 2 or any other film with some amounts of CGI wants a visual spectacle. They want something they can't get at home. They want their movie experience to be the equivalent of a roller coaster ride. They want to be on the edge of their seats, hearts pounding, eyes wide open; they want the thrill.

This isn't new. Ever since the advent of Television, movie studios have relied on technological advances to woo movie goers away from their living room and into the theater. CGI is one way. 3-D is another. Weird musicals with Gene Kelly yet another.

So what does this have to do with Ryan's Daughter (1970)? This David Lean epic isn't an outstanding film in terms of story. Sarah Miles stars as Rosy, local pub owner Ryan's daughter, who marries sheepish school teacher Robert Mitchum. She's Irish and has a wild extra-marital affair with a British soldier played by Christopher Jones. Miles and Mitchum are terrific in the film as are Trevor Howard and John Mills. They deliver first-rate performances. But the story is so-so and Christopher Jones is a big disappointment.

What makes this film truly amazing is it's incredible cinematography. It's pure eye-candy; a feast for the eyes. You are transported from your seat into a seaside town in Ireland circa late 1800s. The breathtaking cinematic quality of this film is lost on a TV and it begs to be watched on a big screen.

I created a Flickr slideshow of some of the best visuals from the film. I've also included my favorites below.

Robert Mitchum Video #1 ~ The Reluctant Star

This is an hour long documentary on the career of Robert Mitchum, provided to you by Hulu.com.

It's a Veritable Robert Mitchum Explosion

So I've been preparing for months. And months. And months for a Robert Mitchum Week. A follow up on my highly successful Norma Shearer Week. It made sense. Norma Shearer is my favorite actress so why wouldn't I do a second themed week with my favorite actor Robert Mitchum.

I read the Robert Mitchum biography Baby I Don't Care by Lee Server and I watched various documentaries on Mitchum's life and work. I've been viewing Robert Mitchum movies from various sources: old videotapes, Netflix, YouTube, even Hulu. I've even been listening to his Calypso album! So why couldn't I pull off Robert Mitchum week?

First off, I wanted to write all the pieces together. In one fell swoop. Every time I came up with a brilliant idea for a post, I'd tuck back into the recesses of my brain for later use only to have said ideas lost in the void that is my mind. Plus I had way too many ideas to cram into just one week. I thought about doing a whole Robert Mitchum month but I didn't have enough content for that. And that was a lot of pressure to put on myself.

How about a Robert Mitchum 1 week and a half? Or two weeks and a third?

Did I mention I have to write a review on a Mitchum-related book for a publisher? Yeah. I better get on that.

Then there was the bio. Oh how I dreaded writing that bio. How am I going to cram Robert Mitchum's crazy life and prolific career into a few paragraphs?

So this morning I decided to toss Robert Mitchum Week out the window and just have what I call "A Veritable Robert Mitchum Explosion". I'm going to post lots of Mitchum stuff, willy-nilly, no form, no structure, just Mitchum stuff spewed onto this blog, in post form. And you know what, I feel liberated. I feel like a poet who was try to cram thoughts into a haiku but decided to use free-form poetry instead.

Watch this space as I proceed to post about Mitchum, in all his glory, with no schedule or structure at all.

Queen Norma Shearer ~ Their Own Desire (1929) now on DVD

I cannot tell you how happy I am that one of my top favorite Norma Shearer films is now out on DVD, thanks to the Warner Archive Collection. And now that they are doing nice original packaging for these DVD-Rs (instead of that boring navy blue swirly design they were previously using), Their Own Desire (1929) gets an awesome treatment with this funky contemporary colorized cover!

The movie itself is a feast for the eyes. Many scenes were shot at the Norconian Resort in Norco, California which was an Art Deco paradise. I secretly dream of breaking into the abandoned resort and looking for the lost and decaying Art Deco treasures. The resort boasted an amazing Art Deco swimming pool and Norma Shearer got to show off her diving skills in a great scene with Robert Montgomery. They both hit the water and share an underwater kiss which to me is an iconic representation of the film, the resort and the era.

There is lots more for the eye to feast on! A dancing scene with moving lights and shadows is the essence of cool Art Deco/1920s style. The rich soak up the sun and get some exercise with a nice game of polo. And the clothes. Oh the clothes. I want them all.

Believe it or not, there is a story too but this is where I separate from other folks. Most people do not like the story because they feel it's lacking in substance and is full of predictable cliches. However, I am very drawn to stories about rich jaded people who are so bored and numb that they manipulate lives to get themselves to feel something. Bonjour Tristesse (1958) anyone? And that's what this is. A story about rich people bored with life. To me that's fascinating. Norma Shearer stars as Lally, a young beautiful rich girl who escapes to a resort with her mother after they have found out that her father, Lewis Stone, is having an affair with another woman. At the resort, Lally meets Jack, Robert Montgomery, and they fall in love. Trouble is, Jack is the son of Beth, the woman who is having an affair with Lally's father. Oops! It's the type of soap opera that only a really excellent Pre-Code film can provide.

I wrote a short review back in 2008 when I first saw the film on TCM and I forsee writing more about this in the future. Now that this is on DVD, I hope to purchase it and make some lovely screen cap collections of all the Art Deco beauty of this film. Maybe I'll even make it a week long affair. Stay tuned... 

Tony Rome (1967) is pretty darn cool

When Tony Rome is out and about, trouble is sure to follow. I really loved this movie, so much so that I watched it twice in a row. Once for the story and a second time for the atmosphere. I'm a gal who loves details and this film had a lot to savor. Here are some things I picked up on. Enjoy.

Flimsy nightgowns and balcony bar service

7-digit phone numbers without Area Codes

Old-fashioned product logos. In this case, beer cans.

Old-fashioned cars like this blue Ford.

Cocktail stirrers

Iconic shots such as this one.

Young Gena Rowlands

Old-fashioned hair clips

Jill St. John and her outfits

Going to bed with full make-up on

Ginormous pools in really fancy seaside hotels

Smaller Floridian seaside hotels. My dad used to own one back in the early 1970s.

Old-fashioned staplers.

Telephone Books/Yellow Pages

Typewriter-typed documents

Typewriters

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Do you like to look for certain details in movies? What do you look for? I particularly like searching for objects that today are obsolete. There is some charm in things we used to rely on but don't anymore. Or even things like staplers that we use today but older versions seem to be of higher quality.