the A To Z Challenge
...Horst Bucholtz starred with James Cagney (One, Two, Three...) and James Cagney starred in
1. WHITE HEAT-1949-CRIME THRILLER
DIRECTOR: Raoul Walsh
STARS: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Margaret Wycherly, Steve Cochran
PLOT: Cop goes undercover to infiltrate a gang run by a psycho crazy nutbar mommy's boy.
QUOTE: Made it Ma. Top of the world!
OSCAR NOMS: Best Writing
OSCAR WINS: Nil
LOVE: The stellar acting!
FAVOURITE SCENE: When Cody, who is in prison, hears what happened to his beloved Ma.
FAVOURITE CHARACTER: Cody Jarrett (James Cagney)
TIDBITS: Squibs (they are the tiny explosives to simulate bullets hitting something) were not invented yet so marksmen were used (Crazy eh?). One bullet missed Cagney by mere inches!
SIX DEGREES (MORE OR LESS) OF SEPARATION: James Cagney starred with Bob Hope(The Seven Little Foys). Bob Hope starred with Katherine Hepburn( Iron Petticoat) who starred with Anthony Hopkins (Lion In Winter) who starred with Cuba Gooding Jnr (Instinct). Cuba Gooding starred in...
2. WHAT DREAMS MAY COME-1998-FANTASY DRAMA
DIRECTOR: Vincent Ward
STARS: Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jnr, Max Von Sydow, Annabella Sciorra
PLOT: A married doctor, who lost 2 children in a car accident, also dies in a car accident and ends up in heaven. He was the main support for his wife and now he must travel through Heaven and Hell to save her.
QUOTE: What some folks call impossible, is just stuff they haven't seen before.
OSCAR NOMS: Best Art Direction
OSCAR WINS: Best Visual Effects
LOVE: The Art Direction. The painting of this film is masterful
FAVOURITE SCENE: When Chris Nielsen arrives in heaven _I hope this is how Robin Williams sees it.
FAVOURITE CHARACTER: Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams)
TIDBITS: in 2008, there was a fire at Universal studios back lot which destroyed the original print of this film. They found another in Europe (as per norm)
SIX DEGREES (MORE OR LESS) OF SEPARATION: Robin Williams starred with Sally Field (Mrs. Doubtfire) and she starred with Burt Reynolds (Smokey and the Bandit). Burt Reynolds starred with Eddie Albert (The Longest Yard) and Eddie Albert Starred with.....oh..the dreaded X is next:)
What Dreams... visually stunning, sad overall... great posts... strong ones. Really enjoy the 6dgrees.
ReplyDeleteWelcome in the letter "W"... thank you!
Jeremy [Retro]
AtoZ Challenge Co-Host [2016]
Stop over and find a free "SIX STRINGS: BLOGGING AtoZ CHALLENGE" Here: http://www.jmhdigital.com/
HOLLYWOOD NUTS!
You know you want to know if me or Hollywood... is Nuts?
It is very sad but still has hope in it. Glad you like the 6 degrees
DeleteBoth sound like very interesting dreams.
ReplyDeleteOh, how are we all going to manage the X???
Believe it or not, I found my quota of three TV shows and three TV commercials.
I'm going to make a guess and say perhaps Xanadu is one of them? It's the only X I can think of.
I wonder what you would think of What Dreams may Come. I hope you see it one day. I was going with Xanadu.....
DeleteDon't know either of these. I'm guessing tomorrow is a challenge!
ReplyDeleteThe Glasgow Gallivanter
It was but I did it!
DeleteSaw the second movie a few years ago. I found it interesting and thought provoking. Williams was powerful in the role of a grieving man. Dropping in as part of the challenge. https://mhsusannematthews.wordpress.com/
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you:) It is a powerful film, to me, anyways
DeleteHi, dear Birgit!
ReplyDeleteI saw White Heat for the first time a few years ago when I binge watched hundreds of old movies to educate myself. Jimmy Cagney was a great character actor and an ideal bad guy in crime dramas. It amazes me to learn about the dangerous stunts famous actors took part in during the first few decades of filmmaking. I haven't seen What Dreams May Come. Robin Wms. became famous playing zany characters but I preferred his work in dramatic roles. Recently I watched Cuba G. as "The Juice" in the miniseries The People v. O.J. Simpson. At first I didn't think Gooding was the best casting choice for the role, but he certainly got into the character and did a superb job with it.
Thanks, dear friend BB!
White heat is one of my all time favourite films and Cagney played the character so well. Robin Williams does a great job in this film since it is dramatic. It is very sad yet with hope built in. I think Cuba Gooding Jnr., even though he won an Oscar, is an under-rated actor. I haven't seen this mini series and feel still angry about the whole thing
DeleteThe quote for what dreams may come is a great one indeed. It was neat how they weaved all the religions into it.
ReplyDeleteIt is very cool and I liked how they used different painting styles in the film also. I love the Paradise Lost feel to it also (reminded me of Gustave Dore when he walks on the faces of the dammed)
DeleteWhat Dreams May Come sounds really good!
ReplyDeletebetty
It is excellent!
DeleteI didn't see the first one, but how scary about using real bullets on set. Yikes. Seems like they could have found a way to clear everyone out of harm's way and still make it visually plausible. But, I guess not...
ReplyDeleteWhat Dreams May Come. Oh, I love this movie. Just love it. Finally you've found one I've not only seen but love. Whew.
I know, so when you watch any of those old shows with bullets taking out blocks of cement, they are real bullets! Yippee for finding a film you love:)
DeleteTwo more entertaining -- but radically different -- films.
ReplyDeleteThey are very different(wait for Z) but I could still connect them:)
DeleteI love your beautiful and colourful W, Birgit. I've not seen either film but I'd like to watch the second one with a nice cup of tea and a cream cake :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you like my W and I used some paper scraps lying around(one of many!).
DeleteI heard a lot about these films but didn't see either.
ReplyDeleteYour W is beautiful:)
I hope you get a chance to see either of these films especial What Dreams May Come.
DeleteWhat Dreams May Come. One weird movie, but I liked it.
ReplyDeleteI think it is brilliant but I like weird but it is not foreign film weird
DeleteI haven't seen these. I guess I should because from the description they sound like I'd enjoy them. Thanks for telling us about them.
ReplyDeleteThey are both great and I could see you really liking What dreams may Come. I hope you get to see it one day
DeleteRobin Williams had a way of propelling craziness into characters who were going off the edge. He gave us a glimpse of true madness before it really took hold. I guess I know what I'll be watching tonight, what an artist.
ReplyDeletehe really was an artist and so very much missed
DeleteI don't know either of those movies.
ReplyDeleteWell, they are good:)
DeleteCagney is riveting in White Heat. The Robin Williams move was confusing yet had great special effects. It would be hard to watch these days considering Robin Williams' tragic death.
ReplyDeleteCagney was brilliant in this film. I have not watched What Dreams since Robin Williams died but I hope he is having that beautiful home in all those colours
DeleteOnce again, not seen either of these. Reading your blogs, I often wish I had seen some of your picks, or remembered the ones I have seen more clearly.
ReplyDeleteOne day...I will hit upon a film you have seen and loved:)
DeleteWhat Dreams was... interesting. A bit surreal, if I recall. How hard was it to find X movies?
ReplyDeleteThis is not my X post obviously and I had a couple of ideas
DeleteI haven't seen either of these.
ReplyDeleteSusan A Eames from
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Maybe one day.....:)
DeleteI was roundly impressed with Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy. I should probably see his most famous movie at some point...Happy that you put the spotlight on What Dreams May Come. It's been consistently overlooked.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great film of Cagney's. Hope you see it one day. Mayo is also excellent in it. What Dreams is such a beautiful film and I wish more people would have seen it
DeleteI loved White Heat (Cagney rocks), but wasn't a big fan of When Dreams Come. I read the book long before the movie was made, and liked it, sort of... Well, parts of it. But the movie felt weird to me. Though that's happened to me with other movies of which I've read the book before.
ReplyDeleteI stand in utter amazement at what you've done with your A2Z, Birgit... And I'm dying to know what you'll use for X (Xanadu? ?)—and how it'll tie in to what you have here. All of which is my very roundabout way of saying See You Tomorrow :)
Guilie @ Life In Dogs
White Heat is excellent and What Dreams is different but I love it! I found the whole thing one of beauty and makes one think. I had fun with the X post
DeleteI saw What Dreams May Come. I thought Cuba Gooding, Jr., was great in it.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
He was excellent I. It and I maintain that he is under-rated
DeleteHaven't seen What Dreams May Come, but I love White Heat. Cagney is just a ball of energy and owns the screen every time he's on it.
ReplyDeleteHope you see What Dreams one day. You can't keep your eyes off Cagney and he was such a gentle man off screen
DeleteI've seen them both. Liked the first one but not the second.
ReplyDelete~D-FensDogG
Well, one out of 2 taint bad:)
DeleteWow...love your 'W' art. Not much of a James Cagney fan. Not one of my favorites of Robin Williams either, and many of his films I have enjoyed a lot. This one was too weird.
ReplyDeleteOh bummer...well can't win them all. I loved this Williams film
DeleteI loved What Dreams May Come! Thanks for sharing
ReplyDelete