Worth Watching Twice

The first Titanic I saw was the 1953 Hollywood version with Barbara Stanwyck, Clifton Webb, Robert Wagner, Richard Basehart, etc. which dealt more with the characters on the ship. Then in 1958 I saw A Night to Remember, a British documentary style version with Kenneth More, David McCallum, Honor Blackman, etc., which dealt more with the disaster itself and was in sharp contrast to the original. I liked them both.

I watch Wuthering Heights with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon everytime it's shown on TV and also own it. I've mentioned it several times on the movie threads, but never receive any comments about it. Maybe I'm the only sentimental, romantic movie addict that's still around. I have not enjoyed any of the remakes because I am so partial to Olivier in that role. I never tire of the dialogue as spoken by Olivier, and admit that Heathcliffe is certainly a more sympathetic character than is portrayed in the book, but that's how I prefer it. It will be on TCM again this month and I will be glued to the set once more.

I saw both the Fredric March and Spencer Tracy versions of J & H and prefer Tracy's version, not just because of Tracy, but because of the dream /hallucination sequence and Ingrid Bergman's superb performance as Ivy, a character never mentioned in RLS's novel.

Raggedy, It's been a while since I have seen Wuthering Heights, but I do remember that it began with a ghosty sorta thing, and that Heathcliff and Cathy walked off hand in hand across the moor.

Letty: I could offer quotes from that film that would overload this thread. Please rent it - but, only if you are a sentimental romantic. As she lies dying, Heathcliff says: Haunt me then. Haunt your murderer. I know that ghosts have wandered on the earth.Be with me always. Take any form.Drive me mad.Only do no leave me in this dark alone where I cannot find you. I cannot live without my life.I cannot die without my soul. " What do they know of Heaven or Hell, Cathy, who know nothing of life? "

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

It was more like a dream sequence as their ghosts walked off hand in hand. An ending that was, I believe, added to make me happy. (lol)

When I agreed to go with my wife to see Titanic I expected to be bored to numbness and then sleep through about all of it. But after a short time I was turned into a believer by the amazing recreation of the ship and the way the action carried one throughout it in all phases of its short existence. The story about the two lovers wasn't half bad, and I was curious about where each character would be located as the ship filled with water, then stood up before breaking in two. I was mildly surprised that the young man died in the end, but of course should have expected it.

Spencer Tracy in J&H was indeed fantastic.
I've always been fascinated by Titanic and have seen all of the different versions. My mothers' favorite was the one with Barbara Stanwyck and Clifton Webb as well. When the band breaks out into "Nearer My God to Thee", out came her kleenex. Every single time.
Another favorite Tracy film that I can watch again and again is "Father of the Bride." The opening scene alone, after the wedding, when he's alone in his chair bringing us up to speed was sheer perfection. Or the scene where he and Joan Bennett are in bed, after Elizabeth Taylor announces her marriage intentions, and he works himself into a frenzy about this strange man coming into his home and stealing his daughter. Hysterical. Oh yeah. I can watch that one again. And follow it up with the sequel, "Bringing Up Baby."
Steve Martin eat your heart out.

Most Steve Martin films are only mildly entertaining to me. Spencer Tracy was (still is) one of my favorites.

Raggedy, You are indeed, a hopeless romantic

eoe, I think that the Titanic fascinated everyone. As I said before, there is one theory out there that proclaims a U-boat torpedo hit her.

Edgar, there is one movie that Steve Martin starred in that I liked, and that was A Simple Twist of Fate, a parallel to Silas Marner. I had one of my gifted students read the book and watch the film, then compare the two.

I was planning a post pointing out how bad all those 'old' movies were, but as i read on, and thought about many of the ones listed here, i realized just how wrong i was.............

Bo, so many of the classics have been replicated in modern times, and they always come up sadly wanting, somehow. You are right from this perspective, however. Just because it's a classic doesn't necessarily make it good. Imagine if some producer would try and do a remake of The Wizard of Oz.

I also saw The Gift starring Cate Blanchett(I think that's her last name) twice. I like eerie movies when they are done well. Keanu Reeves was pretty good in that movie.

I loved Silas Marner (the book). I missed the Steve Martin thing.

Casablanca
Out of Africa
Days of Heaven
The English Patient (sorry its a Juliette Binoche thing !)
Roxanne
The Godfather 1 and 11
Its a Wonderful Life
Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
The Pianist
Some like it hot
The Sting
Leon
Braveheart
The Princess Bride
Rebecca (Joan Fontaine version)
It Happened one night
M*A*S*H
Once upon a time in the West
Once upon a time in America
One flew over the Cuckoo's nest
Peggy Sue got married
The Adventures of Robin hood
Dances with Wolves
Gladiator
Harvey
The Man who shot liberty Valence
Breathless
The Big Sleep
Dead Man Walking
Sense and SensibilityTeh Seven Samurai
Pat and Mike
Great Expectations
The Maltese Falcon
Hannah and Her Sisters
The Colour Purple
Field of Dreams
Ground hog day-Ground hog day
The Lion in winter (Katherine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole version)
Being there
Good Will Hunting
The Quiet Man

wow! hiama. That's some list. Sorry, my friend, but once was enough for me on Out of Africa.

"The Lion in Winter" for certain but I will also always have an affinity towards its predecessor, "Becket."

shawshank redemption

con-air

mag 7

and about 1000 others I think

Right, C.S. I liked Con Air. can't remember if I watched it twice or not.

Mr. Wizard, I loved Becket, but can't remember A Lion in Winter. Who starred?

letty,

Lion in Winter-Katherine Hepburn Peter O'Toole and Anthony Hopkins first film role as the younger son

Wow! hiama. Anthony Hopkins' first role? duh...thanks. I do believe I read the book...might be confusing it with another historical drama, however

Not only Hopkin's first role but one of his finest as Richard the Lionheart. The scene where he and Timothy Dalton portraying Philip King of Spain are caught in a romantic liason is just one of the deliciously wicked plot twists. I always put both films on equal footing and they are great seen back-to-back. Hepburn won the Oscar, James Goldman won for his screenplay (on my top ten list of best screenplays) and John Barry won for the musical scoring (his best score).

He actually made The White bus in 1967 , the year before but The Lion in Winter was his first major film role

"The White Bus" was not feature length and not released in the U.S. until after the release of "The Lion in Winter."