Movie For A Rainy Saturday Night - Mildred Pierce!

[sudsmaster]

I did enjoy Mrs. Miniver, although I tuned out of it periodically to watch some of the latest SNL broadcast (mostly boring SNL was, at that). But I recorded Miniver so I can catch up on it later.

Crawford was a pretty good dancer, so that would help to explain why she was able to execute complex action and still stay on her marks and cues. There's a 19 second clip of her dancing with Astaire on U-tube. She's good, but I don't think Astaire was too pleased, as Crawford seemed a bit too independent and willful to be a good partner. That might explain why it didn't go any further than that, although it's probably dangerous to draw such conclusions from such a short clip.

Crawford's acting strength was in scenes that also highlighted her personal strength - wilful, determined, and not about to be bossed around. I think it's also a reason why her popularity sagged after the War. American society went from the Rosie the Riveter phase back to the Father Knows Best Donna Reed phase, where women were supposed to be warm, nurturing, and submissive to their husbands. Definitely not one of Crawford's comfort zones.

 

[danemodsandy]

Suds:

That clip is from "That's the Rhythm of the Day," a number from 1933's Dancing Lady. It's interesting because Crawford's energetic, Charleston-based dancing style doesn't mesh too well with Astaire's smoother one. But as Astaire said in That's Entertainment!: "We did what we were told to do."

One of the ways Crawford earned extra money when she was starting out was entering Charleston contests at nightclubs. She was very energetic and rhythmic, so she almost always won. The prize was a trophy, which could be returned to the nightclub next day and redeemed for $5 or $10. That was a lot of money in the 1920s, and Joan's career took a while to take off - she started in '25, and wasn't really starred in a picture until '27, though she did move steadily upwards.

 

[danemodsandy]

Aw, Charbee!

And here I was hoping it was a Wavemagnet! ;-)

It does seem unusual to have a carrying handle for a table radio that was not otherwise portable, but I guess it was a way to put a "feature" on a table radio; it must have been difficult to come up with ways to make AM table radios stand out and give them extra sales appeal.

 

[mickeyd]

Can not believe the breath of knowledge and comraderie in th

Thank you all for so much pleasure.

"The Lady in the Cage" comes to mind for memorable B&W's. Or is it "A Lady..."

Can't remember which famous diva plays an ailing, immobile, elegant woman imprisoned during a power outage, in her wiry in-house elevator which she uses to get from a magnificent ground floor living room to her sumptuous bedroom, and is tormented by an almost unrecognizably handsome James Cahn in his youth, who attempts burglary but finds more delicious prey indeed. Once seen, it would be impossible to forget this movie. And it all happens in the daylight, I think.

The ending is horrific; the justice almost biblical is its power. Laundress, Sandy and friends, do you know this film?

 

[charbee]

Sorry to disappoint, Sandy! ;-)

Zenith was really resourceful in making different models based on the same chassis and case...they'd make some with handles, and some without, especially in the bakelite models from the 50s. I'm pretty sure they touted the ones with handles as "portable"...as long as there was an outlet to plug it into, that's still "truth in advertising" I s'pose.

And howdy to mickeyd...have missed your always enthusiastic and passionate posts!

 

[mickeyd]

Can't resist a thread like this.... can ya ;'D

Thank you, charbee, so nice to see you too, not to mention your bright posts.

 

[danemodsandy]

Lady In a Cage...

...Is the movie you're thinking of, all right. It starred Olivia de Havilland as the lady in distress, and James Caan as the baddie who ultimately meets his match. Ann Sothern is in it too.

Charbee - I have got to have one of those Consoltone radios. Can you tell me what to look for when considering one for purchase? Meaning ways to spot potential problems, etc.? Since I have no radio repair expertise, I would be best off finding one in well-restored condition, I think. And yes, I want a white one. I already know that a white one will almost certainly be a repaint. Thanks for any light you could shed upon this!

 

[mickeyd]

It opens with a scene that is almost Oedipal

in its affection between Olivia and her son, (she keeps calling him darling), and there is a great gay sensibility about him; he's so distressed to be leaving her for the week-end--a very well-developed, satisfying scene which gives no portent of what's to come, except that it is very hot day. Hence the power outage and stalled elevator.

Is he also a famous icon faded before our time?

 

[danemodsandy]

Mickey:

Olivia de Havilland's son in Lady in a Cage was played by an actor named William Swan. I agree that he was good in the movie, but he was not a star; most of his career was spent doing television appearances in shows like Twilight Zone and Perry Mason. The Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) lists his last credit as a Quincy TV episode in 1977, when he was 49. There is no info on what happened to him after that, but IMDb does not list a date of death, so maybe he's still around.

 

[charbee]

Buying old tube radios...

Sandy, it's a subject that is fraught with peril. If you're willing to pay a "collector's price" you will eventually find one in decent, useable shape. Most of them that are still around, however, will "need a lotta work" to say the least. Look for one that's been "electronically restored" from a reputable restorer, and you'll probably end up happy. On the other end of the spectrum, (and if you know which end of a soldering iron to hold), you can probably find one in "original" condition from somebody's granny's estate sale and find the schematics or service docs (as well as parts suppliers) online. Keep in mind that unless a radio has been in near-constant use throughout the years, turning one on after years of non-use can be disastrous.

As far as finding them, eBay and Craigslist are your friends. I regularly do a search on both of those for "Zenith radio (tube,old,antique,bakelite)" as a starting point. There are many vintage tube radio sites with forums out there to consult, as well...but be warned, I've found many of them are, well...snobbish, sad to say. Some of the "old timers" look askance at bakelite or catalin radios in general, and if you dig a little deeper into their forum postings, you'll find a lot of angry old coots out there...steer clear of the usual explosive topics of politics and religion and you'll be OK ;-).

And as far as finding a white one, that may be a "holy grail" situation...most examples of that model/case type that I've seen on eBay or Craigslist have been basic brown bakelite. It may be that the movie studio gave that one a quick coat of white, but the models I've started collecting (from the early 50s forward) did come in different factory-original paintjobs ranging from beige, to jade green to turquoise. Hope these are helpful suggestions, and please feel free to ask more questions!

And "Lady In A Cage" ! Oh, my...I remember seeing that as a kid...what a mind-torque that was at the age of 12 or so!

 

[mickeyd]

Mind torque, indeed--and I'm dying to tell it, but will

Thanks, Sandy, trying to recall his face......

Was only 12 or so, like Charbee, but smooth skin and androgynous beauty come to mind--I'll have to find a way to see the movie again.

Good luck on those radio tubes, Dudes!

 

[charbee]

Seek and ye shall...

Close? ;-)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Zenith-Consolto...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ef86f871d

 

[charbee]

Closer?

Here's another...

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-ZENITH-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item518d36eeb1

 

[westingman123]

Ooh Oooh OOOH

Ok, Sandy, you've got dibs...pick one!! LOL Thank you, thank you, Charbee!! I've been seeking one of those FOREVER! I can just hear it now - "Get your car at Crazy Eddie's, pay when you get good and ready..."

Excuse me boys, I'm drooling.

 

[danemodsandy]

Keith and Charbee:

Charbee: Thanks very much! My research indicates that the radio was produced in white as well as mottled brown; I've located one online that is still in original unrestored condition. Oddly enough for that era, these are polystyrene, not Bakelite - polystyrene was still pretty new then. Zenith was really on it, huh? I have taken your tips to heart as I search.

Keith: Go ahead and help yourself to this one - I have found a house here I want to buy, and the radio will probably have to wait a bit. Remember:

Buy your car from Crazy Eddie
Pay when you get good and ready
Nothing down - drive as you pay!
Buy a car the Cra-zee Ed-dee way-yay!

Restful, ain't it?

 

[westingman123]

LMAO

"But there's nothing on then but police calls!"

"I sleep like a baybee."

I do believe you have total recall, Sandy!! And I thought I retained movie lines...

 

[westingman123]

House...

That was fast!! We'll be anxiously awaiting info. Sending positive vibes northward. Oh, and of course, pictures upon purchase. (grin)

 

[danemodsandy]

Keith:

We'll see about the house. BTW, total recall is nothing - total foresight would be the real trick!

 

[westingman123]

We'll see

Oy, you sound like my Mama. If it's right, it will come together. A new home is always an adventure. I am almost envious. I can imagine the interiors already. May the mid-century (and real estate) gods smile upon you!