A to Z Challenge
....Melvyn Douglas starred with Greta Garbo (Ninotchka). She starred in...
1. QUEEN CHRISTINA-1933-DRAMA
DIRECTOR: Rouben Mamoulian
STARS: Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Ian Keith, Lewis Stone
PLOT: Queen of Sweden needs a break so she takes off and ends up at an Inn where she is mistaken for a young man. Meets a Spanish nobleman, falls in love, but there is that nasty thing called responsibility.
QUOTE: One can feel nostalgia for places one has never seen. and.....I shall die a bachelor (Garbo did)
OSCAR NOMS: Nil
OSCAR WINS: Nil
LOVE: The cinematography! Reminded me of old paintings in some areas
FAVOURITE SCENE: When the 2 drunks ask the young nobleman (the Queen) how many lovers the Queen had the past year
FAVOURITE CHARACTER: The Queen, Christina (Garbo)
TIDBITS: Initially Lawrence Olivier was hired for the love interest but there was not much chemistry ao she fought to have the now fallen alcoholic star, John Gilbert as her leading man and won. They had a huge affair and he helped her out when she got started but she left him at the alter.
SIX DEGREES (MORE OR LESS) OF SEPARATION: Greta Garbo starred with Robert Taylor (Camille) who starred with Elizabeth Taylor (Ivanhoe). She starred with Richard Burton (Taming of the Shrew...and also married him-twice!) and he starred with Paul Scolfield(A Man For All Seasons). He starred with Ralph Fiennes in...
2. QUIZ SHOW-1994-DRAMA
DIRECTOR: Robert Redford
STARS: Ralph Fiennes, John Turturro, Paul Scolfield*, Rob Morrow
PLOT: True story based on the infamous games show scandals of the 1950's specifically the game show 21. The answers were given to the contestants prior to filming. This almost put the game shows out of business. Heads rolled to save the network and Geritol, the prime ad for the show who knew what was going on.
QUOTE: You know why they call them Indians? Because Columbus thought he was in India-they're "Indians" because some white guy got lost.
OSCAR NOMS: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor*, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay
OSCAR WINS: Nil
LOVE: The writing! Even though there are liberties taken(as always) it doesn't matter because the essence is the same.
FAVOURITE SCENE: When Herb Stempel has to lose a question that he knows
FAVOURITE CHARACTER: Herb Stempel (John Turturro)
TIDBITS: Van Doren (played by Ralph Fiennes) has not wanted to talk about this part of his life and will give no interviews. So to get the accent down and some mannerisms, Ralph Fiennes drove by his house and saw Van Doren on his front porch. He talked to the man and told him he was lost and asked for directions.
SIX DEGREES (MORE OR LESS) OF SEPARATION: Paul Scolfield starred with Burt Lancaster (The Train) who starred with Katherine Hepburn (The Rainmaker). She starred with.....see ya for R
Haven't seen either film but I have a hard time imagining Garbo being mistaken for a man. As for the VanDoren epoch, I was shocked when it happened and still am flabbergasted. I never saw the film.
ReplyDeleteYeah....she doesn't look like a boy at all.
DeleteI wonder if there was hidden meaning to Garbo being mistaken for a man. Perhaps it was somehow saying something about transgendered people at a time when that topic would be unthinkable as a plot in a movie. Films sometimes touched on these topics even when it seemed so far out of what was acceptable by the mainstream. The plot twist of having her really be a woman would just make it more acceptable to the average movie-goer. I thought the same thing about Swiss Family Robinson with the woman who had to dress up as a boy to evade the pirates. Yes, women often had to do this back in the day during times of war, if they wanted to serve in combat, but in this movie there was some veiled sexual innuendo about the teenage boy taking off his shirt to prove him was a man. When pull off her cap and find out she was really a young woman, all of a sudden was okay to like her, but it seemed like before the two young Robinson boys were infatuated with her.
DeleteI can't imagine that would be a compliment for any girl, to be mistaken for a boy. I wonder if head would roll if she were back in her country. LOL
ReplyDeleteQuiz Show is one of those films I've always wanted to see, but have not gotten around to it. I always wondered why it was such a big deal they gave the questions away. Wasn't it their own money they were giving away? That always confused me and why I want to watch it.
I think Garbo liked to think she could be confused as a boy. The problem is that the public be
DeleteI even these people knew the answers from being wise not from being fed the answers beforehand. I am certain it happens now but they learned how to keep this close to the vest
Hi, dear Birgit!
ReplyDeleteGood ones for Q! I haven't seen Garbo's Queen Christina but I have seen Quiz Show. Mrs. Shady and I loved it. As a kid in the 50s I watched Jack Barry's high stakes quiz show 21 and well remember the scandal that erupted when it was learned that the outcome of the show was rigged to enhance ratings. It seems funny from today's perspective because much of the "reality" programming we watch nowadays is staged, scripted or tweaked somehow by writers and producers to maximize audience appeal.
Thank you, dear friend BB!
I was surprised at how good Queen Christina is. The lighting of the film was striking...at parts was like Rembrandt lighting. That's pretty cool that you watched this show as it was being played out so you could so relate to the film. I believe it happens now with the game shows like Wheel of Fortune because there always seems to be one who wins zip, one who wins a bit and another who wins big. As for all those reality shows...hahahahaaaa
DeleteLove your alphabet cards.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't seen either of these.
I'm glad you are liking my alphabet cards. I am not sure what I will do with all of them but they are fun to make.
DeleteThat was a tricky way to get the voice down. I never knew that tidbit. Quiz Show was a good one indeed.
ReplyDeleteI know! I remember Fiennes talking about this when the film came out. He said Van Doren was very nice.
DeleteNot seen either of these but I saw The Queen with Helen Mirren about Queen Elizabeth II. Great film.
ReplyDeleteIt's her 90th birthday today. I have this DVD and it's excellent
DeleteHadn't seen either of these, heard of Quiz Show but not Queen Christina. To think that movie is over 80 years old!
ReplyDeletebetty
It is 83 years old and it is really well done. I love the lighting and you can see how much the camera loved Garbo.
DeleteYou mean what we see on television isn't on the up and up? I am outraged and will write a strongly worded letter.
ReplyDeleteAfter I watch "Survivor."
I know right?! I am surprised but I know that the reality shows are all true and blue.
DeleteTurturro was excellent in Quiz Show. Rob Morrow's now-you-hear-it, now-you-don't Kennedy accent was annoying, though.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean and ...where is Rob Morrow now??
DeleteHaven't seen either of these, though I really should've seen Quiz Show several times by now. I was hoping in vain to see you list Q: The Winged Serpent.
ReplyDeleteOne day you may see either of these films. I have to say...never heard of the film you suggested.
DeleteI've seen Quiz Show. I liked it, but I don't remember much of it.
ReplyDeleteYou may see it again and remember it
DeleteQueen Christina was an interesting movie about a fascinating woman. It's now believed Christina was already planning her abdication as Queen of Sweden at the time of her coronation.
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about this Queen but it makes me want to learn more now.
DeleteHaven't seen either of these - but I love that shot of Garbo - she was such a beautiful, mysterious woman!
ReplyDeleteSusan A Eames from
Travel, Fiction and Photos
This film really showcases her face. She was off screen for 18 months and this was to showcase her all the way and they did it wonderfully.
DeleteHaven't seen either of these - but I love that shot of Garbo - she was such a beautiful, mysterious woman!
ReplyDeleteSusan A Eames from
Travel, Fiction and Photos
And a difficult letter is conquered with ease! Like the Ralph Fiennes story, very clever (if sneaky).
ReplyDeleteThe Glasgow Gallivanter
Thanks! There are a few Q films. I love Quiz show
DeleteI haven't heard of either one.
ReplyDeleteOh bummer....maybe one day you'll see Quiz Show
DeleteNo never saw these. I had a time following Garbo movies many years ago - they were showing them on TV in the UK. This was not one though.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised they didn't show this one because it is really a showcase for Garbo
DeleteI haven't seen either... Wait. I might have seen Quiz Show. At least bits of it. Queen Christina sounds vaguely familiar.
ReplyDeleteQuiz show is excellent and I hope you give it another chance...one day:)
DeleteGreta Garbo sounds like a bit of a drama queen! I like Ralph Fiennes' methods :)
ReplyDeleteOh...she was in a strange way. I think she may have been agoraphobic actually. She was one strange bird. I love Ralph Fiennes
DeleteHello Birgit, your description of Queen Christina makes me think of Roman Holiday. I haven't seen Quiz Show but I remember hearing about it.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of the 2 together but it is similar and very sad. Quiz Show is worth seeing
DeleteI love how you do the six degrees with each entry. Fun! That's interesting about Fiennes and Van Doren. It seems a little nasty to me but I love Ralph Fiennes so I'll give him a pass LOL.
ReplyDeleteIt's most sneaky for sure but he wanted to get the dialect right. Thanks about my 6 degrees...its been difficult but I'm glad I have been able to get this done.
DeleteGarbo was so beautiful, wasn't she? I want to sit down and watch a bunch of her movies to enjoy her.
ReplyDeleteThis is one film, then, you should see because this film really showcases her beauty
DeleteGarbo was so beautiful, wasn't she? I want to sit down and watch a bunch of her movies to enjoy her.
ReplyDeleteI would probably like Quiz Show, but it is just another movie I have not seen. I used to love movies, but find the ones I have watched and other people have watched vary greatly. Like I love Mutiny on the Bounty, The Bounty, Vacation, and others, but I just cannot say most share my list of movies.
ReplyDeleteWell, I really enjoyed Mutiny on the Bounty and I also The Bounty which I really liked. I love the Vacation movies so it would be interesting to know which movies you do like.
Delete