Comments on: Thoughts in the Night

By: Thoughts on Out of the Past | Coosa Creek Cinema

Thoughts on Out of the Past | Coosa Creek Cinema — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:55:22 +0000

[...] in films noir — thanks, Evan! — that caused me to see the both of them, even though Night of the Hunter is anything but a [...]

By: Rick

Rick — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:59:56 +0000

Hi, Gloria, good to see you over here at the Creek. Anybody who loves movies much as you is always welcome.

A little sarcasm is good for the soul, I always say …

By: Gloria

Gloria — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:45:35 +0000

Hi there, this is Gloria from “Rooting for Laughton”. Thanks for the visit and the appreciations.

About the “updates” well, it’s a way to mean that something has been added-corrected in the post. And even though Charles is no longer among the living, new items of news keep coming, and sometimes one reads a book which gives a new insight on some film, etc…

As for other things, well… Yes, there’s a bit of self-deprecating sarcasm in one’s self-presentation (even though all the other things mentioned are true, LOL) But well, when one lives in an Arriki-Town, humour is a good tool for survival, he.

(Hideko Takamine is one of the greatest film actresses of Japan: check her in Mikio Naruse’s “Floating Clouds” or “When A Woman Ascends The Stairs” if you have the chance)

By: Rick

Rick — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:17:53 +0000

Yes, there is that … she has the time to keep a website up that not a lot of folks would. As great an actor/director as Laughton is, it seems a little weird.

By: darkcitydame4e...

darkcitydame4e... — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:55:29 +0000

Hi! Rick,
I see that you linked [Director/actor Charles Laughton's website.]

According to the creator of the blog…name Gloria, she
“Dwells in an arriki-town beside Barcelona. Obviously interested in Charles Laughton! Yet it is true that there are more things in life: tiger-nut milk, Hideko Takamine(?) or downhill races on ball-bearing wheel carts, just to name three items…” (I wonder if she (Gloria) is being sarcastic about the other activities in her life?)
For some “unknown” reason, I have a feeling that she isn’t being “sarcastic” about the other activities in her life!)

…and I see that she still have time to keep Director/actor Charles Laughton, website up to date!…
Cool!

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 07:20:46 +0000

Thanks, Craig.

Just now saw Mitchum in “Out of the Past” … I liked it a lot, but he was much more the old standard, sleepy Mitchum than in this one. There seems to be something about “Hunter” that brought out something different in him.

By: Craig Kennedy

Craig Kennedy — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 04:18:59 +0000

Great look at a terrific film, Rick. I guess I’m not exactly a Mitchum aficionado either, he’s not the first name that comes to mind when I think of my favorite actors anyway, but I can’t think of a role where I didn’t like him.

He excelled at the dark edged characters.

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 01:35:19 +0000

I’m just now myself beginning to understand style and etc., German Expressionism is one of the more easy styles to get, probably because it’s one of the more overt.

By: darkcitydame4e...

darkcitydame4e... — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:25:00 +0000

Rick,
I must admit that I haven’t viewed the film “The Night of the Hunter” for a while, but after the discussion here on your blog, I guess I will have to wait until TCM reair “The Night of the Hunter” again!…(I would really “hate” to purchase the MGM copy that is already out there on the market, even though I would “love” to watch this film again!) that is if the powers- that- be are planning to release a two-disk Collector’s edition of “The Night of the Hunter.”
A unknown fact (by me!) and my opinion….
“Pommer first approached Fritz Lang to direct this film, but he was committed to work on Die Spinnen (The Spiders),so Pommer gave directorial duties to Robert Wiene.”

I wasn’t aware of the fact, that Director Fritz Lang, was asked to direct the film “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.”

Rick said, “Of course, the roots of the style Welles helped appropriate lie in the silents of Murnau (”Nosferatu” and “Faust,” others like “), Lang (Metropolis, M), and Dreyer (”The Passion of Joan of Arc,” “Vampyr”).

Right you are!…Rick,
“Critics worldwide have praised the film (another silent film as I am sure that you already know!) (“Dr.Caligari”) for its Expressionist style, complete with wild, distorted set design. Caligari has been cited as an influence on film noir, one of the earliest horror films, and “a model for directors for many decades.” Oh! yeah!…including Welles’ (Rick, the latter 4 words are my words and not Wiki’s)
(Wiki info(rmation)

And the description (above) of Dr. Caligari, set reminds me of the 1st and 4th B&W photographs that you posted from Laughton’s “The Night of the Hunter.” ) To me the 1st photograph is “breathtaking”… Just look at how Laughton used contrast, between (black and white) or dark and light in that shot!…I must admit that I just “discovered” German Expressionist films earlier this year.(and have been doing some research on GE films, because of the their “influence” on films that are considered noir.)

tks,

By: Rick

Rick — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:27:10 +0000

DCD,

That’s a great link. thank you.

And thanks for the tip about the new collectors edition of the film I might just have to add it to my collection …