Okay, okay…
I’ve really gotten into this movie-watching thing, but I must admit. This month’s movies proved to be the most difficult set, to date.

I watched La Dolce Vita starring the youthful and handsome Marcello Mastroianni and a young Anita Ekberg. From this movie, Weiner selected one scene and recreated it in Mad Men. When Weiner had Roger Sterling ride one of the redheaded twins back into his office like a pony, he was recreating a scene from this movie where Marcello was observing an orgy-in-the-making among a group of bored, rudderless societal rejects who had broken into a beautiful villa to extend their evening fun.

In the movie, one of the characters commented that the farm girl playing the horse was healthy and strong, "...like a farm animal." The commentary on the scene described how bored all the observers of this moment were instructed to play the scene…and how in his interpretation the bumbling of the two playing horse and rider was set to show how no one there actually knew how to reach the state of mind they wanted (sexual wantoness). The character Marcello Rubini (played by Mastroianni) is lost like Don. He is bored with his life and treading water by continuing the unsatisfying relationship with his live-in girlfriend, all the while satisfying his sexual appetites with random beautiful women. Sounds exactly like our dapper Draper, indeed. I’m sure Don observed Roger’s horsey-ride through the same lens, and Weiner’s selection of this scene was no accident.

Overall, this was not my type of movie. I never would have understood it if I hadn’t watched it again with the commentary---causing me twice the agony through a second viewing. I did notice the beautiful costume and production design. When I looked them up, I was amazed they were done by the same person!

I won’t bore you any longer with my other observations, but look forward to hearing what you thought about the film and the 'genius' of Fellini. He was, indeed, ahead of his time.

I had seen La Dolce Vita when it came out. I was a very young teenager and I really didn't get much out of the movie. I have watched it a couple of times since including just a couple of weeks ago for this discussion. I completely missed the scene you describe, greytone. But, I was focusing intently on the acting in this movie. The scenes between Mastroianni and Ekberg and then each of them with the girl Mastroianni took a liking to in the movie, were riveting in their "simplicity." The boredom and disenchantment of each character seemed palpable. I'm not sure I still understand the film, but I appreciate it more each time I watch it. It did remind me of a lot of the movies back in the 60s and early 70s that left you with a feeling of hopelessness and resignation to doom. Like "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"

Maybe that's part of the reason Weiner included this film in his series - it was a transition time from the hopeful and successful 50s to the antihero, disillusioned late 60s. La Dolce Vita was hugely popular worldwide, I do remember that.

I have some comments on Hitchcock, but it's too late to think right now and I'll be back tomorrow or Sunday to add my 2 cents on AH.

Thanx for your comment magsby13...and thanx for actually preparing for this discussion. I look forward to further comments on Alfred Hitchcock.

I do agree with you about the overall doom and bleak outlook on life this film displayed. The art direction and production design deliberately placed the bleak and broken beside the gleaming and new so that both were starkly displayed against each other.

I hadn't see the film before, so viewing the film through adult eyes with commentary really helped my understanding. The commentator said the young blonde you mentioned who beckoned to Marcello at the end of the film was showing how he could not break away from his malaise...and he refused the last chance he had to change his life. Really a bleak ending....

(PS: I loved "They shoot Horses, Don't They?"!!!

I haven't seen "La Dolce Vita" (The Sweet Life) since the 60's but I remember being impressed by its existential outlook and many films since then have been influenced by Fellini's approach. Anita Ekberg was an extension of Marilyn Monroe's Blonde Bombshell persona and I wondered at the time how that black strapless dress was staying up! Mad Men did similar party scenes and caught the mood of boredom and excess, exactly. Overall, the movie has an European aura.

When I first saw "La Dolce Vita" in 1960, I enjoyed it but mostly thought it was a weird foreign film. However, I admired the young Marcello Mastroianni, thought him awfully handsome and a good actor, so I enjoyed just watching him and going along with whatever fantasy was playing out without trying to make sense of everything. A recent viewing has cleared up some of the confusion I first experienced.

"Marcello Rubino," a columnist for a newspaper in Rome works with a photographer he calls "Paparazzo." He is restless and at loose ends over his personal and professional life and by way of his job drifts into a group of wealthy people who do nothing but enjoy "the sweet life" in supremely decadent style. Marcello is not really a part of this life but goes along with it because it is easy. He just goes with the flow. At one point he meets a Hollywood actress (Anita Ekberg), and they hang out for a while, but nothing serious occurs or is expected to. (I appreciated Ekberg's acting much more this time.)

Director Federico Fellini's images are startling. The scene of a helicopter transporting a statue of Jesus across Rome is unsettling, and another of a group of partygoers roaming through an ancient mansion late at night is bizarre. Imagine the shock of an audience seeing this film in 1960?

Don Draper and Marcello share a restlessness and critical attitude toward life as they see it, but otherwise they are not really alike. Don is ambitious, Marcello is lazy. Don has a past he covers up while Marcello has nothing to hide. When Don dreams or fantasizes, it is of the Korean War or his hardscrabble childhood. Marcello dreams of bizarre situations and people in a changing Rome.

Particularly interesting was Fellini's depiction of the photographer called Paparazzo. Photographers persistent in getting photos of celebrities to sell to the highest bidder are now known universally as "paparazzi" because of this film.

Yes, Jamblermm....
While watching her splash around in the fountain, all I could think of was the damage she was doing to that exquisite fabric!

Another enlightening thing was the existence of the papparazzi back then! Marcello and his cohorts were the vermin scraping out a living in what looked like war-torn Italy. Did it really take 30 more years for the virus to invade Hollywood as it has today?

Welcome back, Remembering...
Thanx for returning, once again, to comment....
I have nothing new to add to your post except we must have been typing about the paparazzi at the same time! lol

"La Dolce Vita"
When comparing/contrasting Don and Marcello in my post last night, I neglected to mention the obvious. Don ultimately rejected the "sweet life" of the Jet Set while Marcello, although recognizing the decadence and uselessness of such a life, in the end didn't have the strength give it up. Score one for Don Draper!

Correction: "strength to give it up."

Some general observations about Alfred Hitchcock films:
1. As is well known, Hitchcock makes a cameo appearance near the beginning of each film. He can usually be spotted because his appearance is distinctive.
2. Background music plays a big part in setting the mood for scenes in all the films. It is ominous when something sinister is about to happen, with a crashing crescendo of dissonant chords the moment it happens. It is melodic, unobtrusive, and romantic during a quiet scene.
3. Hitchcock is known for preferring blonde actresses like Grace Kelly, Tippi Hedren, Kim Novak, and Eva Marie Saint. However, Ingrid Bergman, not a blonde, is very good in the films in which she appears.
4. There are many dinner scenes where people sit down, eat, drink, and talk together. Sometimes these scenes advance the plot and sometimes not.
5. Railroad trains, either integrated into the plot, used for transportation, or just viewed as they go by are featured in many films.
6. The dialogue in the films is clever and witty (often double entendre). It makes no difference whether the film is a comedy or a suspense thriller.
7. A "red herring," a small occurence or statement that appears significant at the time but has absolutely nothing to do with the plot is inserted in many Hitchcock films. This has come to be known as a "MacGuffin."

(My local library is part of a 48-library system in my area. I order the films I want online, they are collected from all over the system and are ready for pick-up at my library within a couple of days. As a result I have been able to watch 23 Hitchcock films since November!)

My all-time favorite is "North by Northwest" with Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. It contains everything: the train scenes, witty conversation, the MacGuffin, captivating suspense, great scenery from Manhattan to the "northwest," and talented actors. Cary Grant plays an advertising executive! This has nothing to do with the plot, but there is some conversation about advertising (not flattering) that is similar to comments some of our Mad Men have made.

Interesting that your favorite movie of Hitchcock is "North by Northwest" because it is one of the movies I caught on late nite cable last month! I made note that the similarity was that they were both advertising executives, too. The beautiful secluded home in the last few scenes reminded me of the California home where Draper and Joy were together. The camera angles were extraordinary, particularly when the climbed down the faces of Mt. Rushmore. I have decided I don't like how these old movies end....compared to today's, they all seem to stop really abruptly.

The young Cary Grant was as good looking as Mastroianni was in his young days. It must have been a night for Hitchcock because the viewing of "North by Northwest" was followed by "Lifeboat." Have you seen it?

The state of California is so short on funds, every time I request a book or movie it costs 75-cents! Does it cost anything to request movies you where you live? If not, you still have invested a lot into preparing for this discussion, and I appreciate all the points in your previous post....particularly having you provide the definition of a 'macguffin.'

Very interesting stuff!...

Hi, greytone,
My favorite Hitchcock films used to be "Rear Window" and "To Catch a Thief," but that changed after viewing "North by Northwest," which moved to No. 1 immediately.

I agree that the camera angles were spectacular in "North by Northwest," as they are in many Hitchcock films. My first notes mentioned this, but I didn't know how to describe them technically in order to do them justice. My notes said something about "likes views from heights--especially slanted--of structures and landscapes."

The sudden ending of a lot of the films startled me at first, seeming abrupt and incomplete, but I've come to like and expect them now. Really, what more is there to say after the problem is solved, the murderer is apprehended, etc.?

The young Cary Grant is just too much..... charming, self-assured, handsome, amusing, smooth, attentive. I could go on, but you get the idea.

I've not watched "Lifeboat" yet, but I am going to order it online as soon as I finish this post. Thanks for mentioning it.

(There is no charge for reserving DVDs where I live (35 miles "Nothwest!"of Manhattan), but the overdue charge is $1 per day, so I scramble to return them on time.)

Lifeboat is a classic...very good.

Not to mention, it has Tallulah (sp?) Bankhead in it!
That laugh of hers!

Tyrone Power, too, although not in his beautiful prime.

Did you ever hear the story of Tallulah Bankhead in "Lifeboat"? It is said that someone complained to Hitchcock that she was not wearing underwear in the lifeboat scenes and it was obvious to everyone. Hitchcock said he was puzzled as to what to do about it as he was not sure whether it was a problem for wardrobe or the hairdresser.

Oh man, z...totally hilarious!!!!

My favorite Hitchcock film has always been "Shadow of a Doubt" with Joseph Cotton. But of his very early films, "The 39 Steps" is always a treat for me to watch. It is really good - has his first blonde, Madeleine Carroll, in it, and I love Robert Donat as Richard Hannay. I read somewhere that Carroll and Donat had never met before the first day of filming. Hitchcock handcuffed them together that first day and kept them that way for hours, pretending he had lost the key. They were waiting to film the scene where, as strangers, they escape across the moors while handcuffed together. I guess he wanted them to really get into the experience.

I am also partial to his last film, "Family Plot". This is more a comedy than a mystery - kind of along the lines of "The Trouble With Harry," but is very enjoyable. Hitchcock seems to be spoofing some of his own movies in it. It has all the usual Hitchcock elements. There is a mysterious blonde and a wild car ride a la "North By Northwest". It is fun to watch, and Barbara Harris is adorable as the pseudo psychic, Blanche Tyler. William Devane is great as the smiling villain, while Bruce Dern is Blanche's exasperated boyfriend who winds up doing all the work.

Re: "Family Plot," I forgot to add that it mirrors "Mad Men" in a way because one of the main characters, like Don Draper, is living with a stolen identity. It is this character's determination not to be found out that puts the others in "grave" danger (my own little joke there - if you've seen the movie, you'll get it).

Thanks z for your comment....

I wonder....Were there any other Hitchcock movies with wild car rides?

I know Mad Men had theirs (with Bobbie and Don) and you mentioned one in "Family Plot." Is this way of isolating facial tension and building plot suspense a repeated theme by both filmmakers?

We mustn't forget the car scene in "Suspicion," when Joan Fontaine thinks driver Cary Grant is going to push her out of the car while driving along the cliffs. In "Notorious," Ingrid Bergman takes Cary for a fast ride before being stopped by the police. In "How To Catch a Thief" Cary is in the vehicle being driven by Grace Kelly as they hurtle along the roads above Monte Carlo and almost have an accident.

Janet Leigh is behind the wheel during "Psycho," at night in the driving rain, while the music thunders, and she imagines the scenes when her theft is discovered. In "Frenzy," the murderer rides in the potato truck while frantically searching for the lost clue to his identity, and after he has left it, the truck continues down the road spilling its cargo of potatoes and eventually the murder victim onto the highway.

Of course, while not wild car chases, a great deal of "Vertigo" is spent with Jimmy Stewart following Kim Novak all over San Francisco by car.

Those are all I can remember at the moment, but obviously Hitchcock liked car scenes.....

In "The Birds," there is what might be called a "bird chase." Near the end of the film Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor finally escape the birds by frantically running to their car and driving away, followed by the birds for a brief time. Then the car seems to leave the birds behind, and the film ends abruptly. Those birds were pretty scary.

In "To Catch a Thief," there are many car scenes on the mountainous roads around Monte Carlo. The "car chase" scenes usually involve the police chasing Cary Grant, the suspected cat burgler. He always outsmarts them. A memorable scene, I think the one Zerelda mentioned, is one where Grace Kelly drives Cary Grant to a scenic overlook for a picnic. Unpacking their lunch, she asks him "Do you prefer a thigh or a leg?" (This film was made in 1955, and Princess Grace died in 1982 in a car accident on one of those mountainous roads. She would be 80 this year had she lived.)

Cars and trains do seem to be favorite Hitchcock devices to create excitement and tension.

Did anyone else watch "Rope," the movie that Pete and his brother had such a sinister laugh about?

I think this is the one mention of a Hitchcock movie in the series (I could be wrong, though...please chime in if I am). What was so important about this movie that would make Weiner single it out this way?

I remember Pete and his brother laughing about the movie while discussing their parents, but I can't recall why "Rope" was specifically mentioned. I have always found "Rope" to be an odd and claustrophobic little movie. Even with Jimmy Stewart, it is not one of my favorites. I know I really do not care for the main murderer - not that you are supposed to care for Hitchcock's murderers - but the actor, Jon Dall, I just find cold and annoyingly dull. Farley Granger is too wimpy - he even makes me want to slap him and say "get a grip - we killed the guy, so let's carry it through."

Perhaps the claustrophobic feeling arises from the entire movie taking place in the long living room and dining area of the apartment. Or maybe I sympathise too much with the dead guy shoved into the trunk. Whatever the reason, I always feel shut in when I watch "Rope." Was that Hitchcock's intent? Do other people have that sensation when they view this movie?

A friend has said that she finds the homosexual undertones of "Rope" to be repellent. Another friend said she never noticed that the murderers were gay (what movie was she watching!). While it was always perfectly obvious to me that they were, that aspect of the movie has never bothered me. At any rate, the murder was not committed because Dall's and Granger's characters were gay, but because of the two murderers' sense of superiority and entitlement over others. They did it to show that they could and that they could get away with it.

Is that why "Rope" was mentioned in the scene with Pete and his brother? To show their sense of superiority and entitlement over others, their parents included?

While queueing up Netflix to select another Hitchcock movie, I was reminded of why I remember the little I do about him.....his television show.....Alfred Hitchcock Presents!

I had completely forgotten how this television program was part of our family's television viewing habit. I distinctly remember his slow, deliberate speech as he introduced the episodes and how his shadow stepped into the very simple line drawn silhouette on the white background at the end of each show.

These shows were always really well-written and full of actors all clamoring to work with him. The fledgeling careers of William Shatner, Vincent Price, Jessica Tandy, Jack Klugman, Peter Lorre, and Joseph Cotten were just a few of those honed under his tuteledge. I remember going to bed many nights thinking about what I had seen. The stories were witty, never dull, sometimes funny and always thought-provoking.

If I'm the only one here old enough to remember them, let me be the first to recommend viewing any part of the series to our younger fans. This was what we called great television.... I'll bet Weiner sat on the floor watching the series (like little Bobby and Sally) and became a lifelong Hitchcock fan from evening television.

BTW...
I watched "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1956) with James Stewart and Doris Day. Great costumes, beautiful exotic locations, and another abrupt ending, I'm afraid...lol

Joseph Cotton, Vincent Price and Jessica Tandy were all accomplished actors long before appearing on Hitchcock's TV show. J. Cotton starred in Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" in 1943, along with Tandy's husband, Hume Cronym. Hume Cronym, by the way, also appeared in "Lifeboat" and helped write the screenplay for "Rope" and another Hitchcock movie I have never seen entitled "Under Capricorn". This movie also starred Joseph Cotton, along with Ingrid Bergman and Michael Wilding (Elizabeth Taylor's 2nd husband).

As I said, I have never seen this movie - it is a romance and not a mystery thriller as Hitchcock usually did. I believe that it was while filming this movie or just afterwards that news broke of the very married Ingrid Bergman's affair with the Italian director and the subsequent much ado. Anyway, I have never seen it and would like to hear from anyone who remembers this movie. Is it any good? Is it thoroughly Hitchcock even though it is not a thriller?

I remember well the Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV show, greytone...you are definitely not the only one "old enough" (I'm "only" 58, and I never missed it) lol

I loved the epi where the actress who played J.R.'s mother on "Dallas" used a frozen leg of lamb or roast or? as a murder weapon (and buried her victim in the yard!) and then cooked it up and served it to the investigating cops! Sooo clever and always with that comic undertone to the drama that was so great about Hitch. She just sat there smiling wryly as they ate lunch and told her how delicious it was.

Also, the one with z's fave, Joseph Cotton, where he had the car wreck and was paralized and sitting there with his chin on the steering wheel and the whole epi takes us through his (spoken thoughts only-- in JC's voice) struggle to make it known to different people standing over him that he is still alive...finally, as the morgue attendant is wheeling his gurney to the morgue, he notices a tear rolling down the side of JC's face and exclaims "You're alive! It's ok, fella...I see it...it's all gonna be ok now....I know, I know"--- and we viewers breathe a sigh of relief, of course, finally realizing that Joseph won't be buried alive, after all! What a show!

Also, the epi with Peter Fonda intent on getting revenge on the man who was responsible for his father's death by going to barber school and then going back home and when the man is sitting in his barber chair getting a shave (with a straight razor!) Peter slowly tells him how he knows all about his causing the father's death and just keeps shaving him as he talks and the man breaks out in a sweat and you think all along that he's going to suddenly cut the man's throat to get revenge, but it ends up that the man dies of a heart attack in the chair and Peter gets his revenge without ever having to.

Sorry to ruin these epis for everyone if they haven't seen them, but that was one great TV show, no?

I have to admire the audacity and confidence of Hitchcock in making his three "one-set" films. Who would ever think that "Lifeboat" (1944), in which the setting is a wooden boat with six people on board adrift in dangerous waters during World War II, could hold the viewer's attention and interest for over an hour? Yet it did, thanks to the terrific performances of Tallulah Bankhead and the others in the boat and inspired camera work in making the boat and its occupants seem more or less "comfortable" in such close quarters.

In "Rope" (1948), Hitchcock told the whole story in the living room, dining area, and foyer of a residentlal apartment. I didn't find it claustrophic at all. Because of the tension generated by the murder at the very beginning, I really worried that something would happen to reveal the corpse while the guests (the victim's friends and relatives) were being served a buffet lunch from the top of the chest in which he had been dumped. What a relief when James Stewart finally put the pieces of the puzzle together!

"Rear Window" (1954), the third "one-set" film was fascinating with its setting of the Greenwich Village apartment of James Stewart and its view into a courtyard where nefarioius things might or might not be going on. This was a lovely film, great color, beautiful Grace Kelly, debonair James Stewart, captivating plot. There was little suspense in it for me, however, because I knew everything would work out in the end for these beautiful people in their charming location. I felt much more tension watching "Lifeboat" and "Rope."

Z, "Under Capricorn" is the one film I've requested that my 48-member library system hasn't come up with. It was available at one time at only one library and is now marked "missing." I don't know whether this signifies anything special about the movie or not!

greytone, I enjoyed Doris Day's singing of "Que Sera, Sera" in "The Man Who Knew Too Much," and the clever way it was worked into the plot, but I didn't like her as a brunette. Call me shallow, but I prefer the blonde, perky Doris Day of "Pillow Talk."

I haven't seen "Under Capricorn" (one of the few Hitchcock films I haven't seen), but I think it is supposed to be pretty bad and was not well-received at the time. It may have been foisted on Hitchcock by the studio. It is a period piece and not at all like his other work.
"Rope" is based on an actual murder that took place in 1924 by two college students, Leopold and Loeb, who thought they were so smart they could commit murder and get away with it. They kidnapped and tortured a 14-year-old boy. Of course, they were caught and convicted. Their fact that they were homosexual and Jewish, because of the rampant anti-Semitism of the day, contributed to the sensationalism of the crime. There is another movie, made in the 60's about it, called "Compulsion" starring Orson Welles, Bruce Dern and Dean Stockwell.
I think Pete and his brother mentioned "Rope" while remembering some sort of childhood fantasy about doing away with one's parents and getting away with it. (Supposedly very common)

Mambo Deb,
I don't think antisemitism had much to do with the horror and disgust the public felt about that little boy being killed. In fact, they had intended to kill another boy, but when they couldn't get to him on that day, they randomly picked this other child, according to an article I read. The coldbloodedness of it was what appalled people. People can empathize when one kills based on passion, fear or anger, but 2 wealthy educated young men deciding to torture and murder just to see how it felt did not generate much empathy.

At any rate, I rewatched "Rope" recently and it occurred to me that it was an odd movie. I couldn't really empathize with any of the characters. I blamed Jimmy Stewart's character as much as I did the 2 guys who actually killed the young man. When he gives his monologue towards the end of the movie, stating that he never expected to be taken literally, I just didn't believe it. I thought he should be tried along with Stewart Granger and the other guy.

My favorite Hitchcock movie is still "Rear Window." I never get tired of it. Every time I watch it, I see another part of the story or another character that I didn't notice before and I enjoy it all over again. "Suspicion" is another good one, although I hate that Joan Fontaine's character has so little back bone.

After reading these posts, I'm going to queue up
North by Northwest" in my Netflix list. I haven't seen that movie since I was a teenager, and it's time to give it another look, and "39 Steps" as well.

At our house, we never missed Alfred Hitchcock Presents. I remember mostly the opening with his silhouette, then the camera would pan to him with his "Good Eveeening."

magsby13, I think you meant to say Farley Granger, but, that's ok...I f**k up on here all the time and everyone still puts up with me! LOL

No biggie...but it does open the door for me to extoll on my first "older man" crush in my early teens... who happened to be Stewart Granger...I thought he was the sexiest thing yet back then...can't see it so much now.

The movie fans on Mad Men would not have visited their local theaters to see "Shadow of a Doubt," but I am glad I finally got to see what is purported to be Hitchcock's favorite film.

It was set in California wine country in nearby Santa Rosa. I've been there many times, and it sure doesn't look like that any more! Hitchcock loved this film because he got to interject evil and menace into a small, quiet town.

It was very well cast, and Teresa Wright (the female Charlie) whose adoration of Joseph Cotton (Charlie Oakley) set up the contrast, tension and suspicion that ultimately makes her face the fact that both evil and love can exist in the same place...in the same town, in the same person.

I didn't recognize Hume Cronyn. They actually had to put grey in his hair and give him glasses to age him for the role! Hitchcock himself had hair back when the film was made (1943). It was a straightforward story of an authentic small town (like the one I grew up in) and so, with the writing of Thornton Wilder (Our Town), how could one not feel the pulse of authenticity?

I agree...this one was a winner. The fact that it was in black and white didn't bother me at all. I loved looking at the vintage automobiles driving down the street in many of the scenes. I appreciated the women's clothes, including the aprons worn in the kitchen and the detachable collars put on top of sweaters and basic dresses I remember from that time.

The trademark train scene ended the film....but, at least there was another scene that followed to soften the blow and close out the picture. Apparently, Joseph Cotton never played a heavy-weight villan character again in his career. Nevertheless, he was sure a well-dressed, good-looking young man at the time...it was hard to think he could do what his niece suspected of him. I loved that the little girl, Ann (Edna May Wonacott), had his number from the beginning...I think it was all those books she read...little girls in small towns spent a lot of time reading books...(ah...I remember those days). Now I know that other little girls spent their time going to the movies!

Thanks to everyone who suggested this one....

Oh, Greytone, I am so glad you enjoyed "Shadow of a Doubt". As I've mentioned before, it is my favorite Hitchcock film. I am a huge fan of Joseph Cotten, too, so having him in a Hitchcock film is a treat. I always enjoyed the scenes of Charlie's father and Hume Cronyn's character planning their murders, while all the while an actual murderer is sitting in their midst.

My all time favorite scene from a movie is the shot down the long avenue at the end of "The Third Man," as Joseph Cotten waits for Alida Valli and that wonderful eerie music plays. I could watch that scene over and over and never tire of it. The whole movie is great, but that scene always gets to me every time. I am always watching from Joseph Cotten's point of view, hoping she will stop, but she never does.

I don't know if you caught it, z, but "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte" was on the other night, and Joseph C. was in it, playing a villain (not too heavyweight, grey...but a good "baddie") along with Olivia DeHaviland (Joan Fontaine's sis, I think?) Olivia was a sadistic bitch in it...never seen her in any other movie like that...total opposite of Melanie in GWTW! She had Bette shaking in her boots.

I started watching and just got caught up in it (is soooo campy!)

Poor Bette Davis being tormented by Joseph and Olivia trying to make her think she was nuts...plus it had Agnes Moorehead in it (always great) playing the best crazy/tacky housekeeper ever. Her hair looked like a --- well, hard to describe --- just suffice it to say she had a perpetual "bad hair day" going on.

Remember when a lot of the classic women stars started making all those semi- horror movies in the early sixties? (Joan Crawford - Berzerk, Trog, etc.)
(Joan and Bette -Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?) (Olivia - above movie plus "Lady In A Cage")

What was the deal there...did they just want to work so bad, they didn't care what they did anymore? They are fun to watch now but back then they must have felt like a step way down to them, huh?

Ladies, I agree with your comments about "Shadow of a Doubt," but it isn't one of my favorite Hitchcock films. I just didn't like to see Joseph Cotten (one of my special favorites) as the bad guy.

I did find the chatter between Charlie's father and his friend amusing, each trying to outdo the other in planning the perfect crime, when the Joseph Cotten character was right in their midst. Another of Hitchcock's devices to insert humor into a serious matter, I imagine.

I'm getting to the point where I appreciate and wait for the sudden ending of the films. As far as "Shadow of a Doubt" is concerned, the film could have ended when Joseph Cotten fell off the train and was flattened by the oncoming train, but I realize there had to be a following scene to pull the threads together. Grey, I sense nostalgia for your childhood in small-town California. Understandably this film must have been a sentimental trip down memory lane for you.

Z, that last scene in "The Third Man" also gets to me every time I see it. The theme music is hauntingly beautiful, isn't it?

Right before we all fade to back to our real lives, I wanted to thank everyone who bothered to follow the thread and post (or lurk in the background) this month. As always, it was great fun!

Just a reminder that next month the movies will be: "Best of Everything" and "Executive Suite." Our featured actress will be: Rita Hayworth.

Will you be back? I sure hope so! I'll be here!

Will love to dish with you about Gilda, Greytone, so I will be back. Your movie thread is one of my favorite places on this forum. Thank you!

Of course, grey!

I echo z in saying I wouldn't miss it!

I know this thread is probably finished, but I just watched "Lifeboat" - I thought I had seen this movie before, but I think I had it mixed up in my mind with some other movie. I didn't care for it at all - I would not have taken it for a Hitchcock movie. Very disappointing. One thing I did wonder about was how they managed to show William Bendix with half of his leg cut off - were the special effects that good back in those days? This was not just lying in bed, this was being carried and his leg very obviously missing.

Hi, Greytone and everyone,
I know the January discussion has basically ended, but I'd like get the following observations into the archives before we leave this thread. There is dialogue in "North by Northwest" that parallels that in MM surprisingly.

In MM there is the well known "Yes, please" spoken by Rachel when Don asks her if she really "wants this" before they have sex for the first time. In "North by Northwest," while traveling together on the 20th Century Limited, Cary Grant, before kissing Eva Marie Saint for the first time, asks, "Shall I?" and she answers "Please do."

Later there are comments about advertising spoken by Eva Marie Saint to Cary Grant. (He is an advertising executive although that has nothing to do with the plot.) She says "You're an advertising man, that's all I know....you've got taste in clothes....taste in food....women....you sell people things they don't need....you can probably make them do anything for you...."

These lines could easily have been spoken to Don by Midge, Rachel, Bobbie, and others. Even Don (changing the lines to the first person) could have spoken them.

That's it. Just wanted to point out these similarities that got my attention. Wonderful movie, still my all-time favorite.

Hope to read all of your comments during the February discussion. (In the meantime I recommend going to FaceBook and playing Scrabble ("Lexulous"). Seriously, it's a lot of fun.)

Thanks again, Grey, for your continuing hospitality and guidance.

SCfan ... I, too, remember the Joseph Cotton movie where he was paralyzed and in a morgue and managed to move his little finger. This film haunted me for years! I was so afraid it was going to happen to me. I kept thinking it was a movie; however, after reading your January 28th posting, I realize it must have been during Alfred Hitchcock TV. Do you remember the name of the episode?