capncarp | 02 Dec 2014 8:18 p.m. PST |
I'm a classic film buff, and I've taken to watching films of the 20's and 30's to get an idea of the existing styles and details extant during those periods. F'rinstance, "The Whole Town's Talking" with Edgar G. Robinson shows lots of interiors, and many of the shots are medium-range, giving a whole room's layout, including the floor treatments (in one case a checker-patter tile floor). There is also a wooden and glass phone booth in a restaurant. Another one, written by Damon Runyon, is "A Very Honorable Guy", in which the hero, trying to evade a gangster hit squad, hires an armored car to transport him and his girl to safety (around the 50 minute mark and beyond). The armored car looks to be a Model A Ford truck with a stretch bed on which the courier compartment is housed; on top of the compartment is a "penthouse" with portals and pistol ports. Any ideas if this was a real armored car model, or just something made up for Hollywood? |
John the OFM | 02 Dec 2014 8:29 p.m. PST |
Let me step outside the box and suggest Roger Rabbit. How much more "Pulp" can you get? |
capncarp | 02 Dec 2014 8:57 p.m. PST |
True, John, that had enough pulp for a million glasses of orange juice, but I was speaking of those films actually _made_ during those periods. For example, when the hit team mentioned above thinks they're being pursued by cops, one tells the other who's driving to "Travel! Or else they'll catch us!" Not "hurry up", not "give it the gas!", but "Travel!" I'd never heard that used that way before. |
The Shadow | 02 Dec 2014 9:09 p.m. PST |
Dunno about the armored car, but for a variety of interiors try the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers flicks. "Angels With Dirty Faces" shows a period drug store, night club, tenement basement, tenement apartment, warehouse interior, and several street scenes of the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Thanks for the heads up to watch "A Very Honorable Guy". I've never been a Joe E. Brown fan, but since it's a Runyon story I have to catch it. (-: |
enfant perdus | 02 Dec 2014 9:09 p.m. PST |
I always think it's cool to see all the functional transoms over the doors. Also, the degree of civic pride displayed in erecting beautiful, impressive public buildings. |
miniMo | 02 Dec 2014 9:16 p.m. PST |
Also for Damon Runyon and Edgar G Robinson — A Slight Case of Murder is a must see!!! |
skippy0001 | 02 Dec 2014 9:35 p.m. PST |
HBO's 'Boardwalk Empire' is decently accurate. |
Extra Crispy | 02 Dec 2014 9:42 p.m. PST |
You'd be surprised how much "civic pride" was really just a studio lot. |
Coelacanth | 02 Dec 2014 9:50 p.m. PST |
There is a good movie site for pre-Production Code (1927-1934) Hollywood films: pre-code.com. Also don't forget shorpy.com which isn't a movie site, but is a treasure trove of photos of early 20th century life. Ron |
Dennis | 02 Dec 2014 10:30 p.m. PST |
Darn: I was hoping to answer before Ed so I could say: "The Shadow Knows." |
enfant perdus | 02 Dec 2014 10:33 p.m. PST |
You'd be surprised how much "civic pride" was really just a studio lot. But even then it can be an accurate representation. I've been in and driven through more small towns than I can remember and I still get goosebumps when I see some of the town halls, courthouses, schools, etc. Polk County courthouse, Osceola, Nebraska
Denton,Texas
Stillwater, Minnesota
Central HS, Duluth, Minnesota
Naugatuck HS, Connecticut
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The Shadow | 03 Dec 2014 5:59 p.m. PST |
>>Also for Damon Runyon and Edgar G Robinson — A Slight Case of Murder is a must see!!!<< Absolutely! One of my favorite Robinson flicks with some of the best character actors in the business! Alan Jenkins, Edward Brophy, Ruth Donnelly, Harold Huber, George E. Stone and Bobby Jordan of the Dead End/East Side Kids. The characters are certainly Runyon-esque and it moves along quickly. If you like gangster comedy/dramas, "Like "All Through the Night", you're sure to like this one. |
The Shadow | 03 Dec 2014 6:11 p.m. PST |
Here's a link to the trailer for "A Slight Case of Murder" on youtube. I forgot to add that Margaret Hamilton, the wicked witch in "The Wizard of Oz" is in it too! |
Jeff of SaxeBearstein | 03 Dec 2014 6:21 p.m. PST |
The Shadow knows what the link is . . . but will he please share it with us? -- Jeff
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The Shadow | 03 Dec 2014 9:13 p.m. PST |
Jeff It was my plan to baffle and confuse you. HAHAHAHAHA! Here's the link :-) YouTube link |
capncarp | 04 Dec 2014 5:03 a.m. PST |
<blushing> sorry, folks--and apologies to Mr. EDWARD G. Robinson. I blame my exuberance for mangling the gentleman's name. Pity I couldn't blame intoxication…. |
The Shadow | 04 Dec 2014 8:17 a.m. PST |
>><blushing> sorry, folks--and apologies to Mr. EDWARD G. Robinson.<< Believe it or not, I didn't even notice that. LOL |
capncarp | 05 Dec 2014 8:07 a.m. PST |
While we're on the topic of character actors of the period, there are two who show up regularly in solid roles--Thomas Mitchum and Donald Meek. Thomas Mitchell played Gerald O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind", Doc Boone in "Stagecoach", Clopin in the Charles Laughton version of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", Uncle Billy in "It's a Wonderful Life", the Mayor in "High Noon", the father of the Sullivan brothers in "The Sullivans"….ad infinitum. Donald Meek was Peacock the milquetoast whiskey drummer in "Stagecoach" (playing off Thomas Mitchum all through the film), as the diner who fingers Jonesy from the restaurant phone booth in "the Whole Town's Talking", as Nick Carter's (Walter Pidgeon's) sidekick Bartholomew "Beeswax"(quirky, but not too wimpy here), and a bunch of other roles where a diminutive, self-effacing mild mannered chap was needed. In the early 30's he also had a string of shorts as a criminologist, Dr. Crabtree. Anybody else have a favorite character actor? Andy Devine? Dubb Taylor? Edgar Buchannan? William Frawley? Jean Arthur? John Carradine? |
The Shadow | 05 Dec 2014 10:09 a.m. PST |
All great choices, except for Jean Arthur. She was a leading actress, and a very good one, but would never be considered a character actress. Other great character actors that I always enjoy seeing are, beside the ones i've already mentioned from "A Slight Case of Murder": Peter Lorre (Maltese Falcon, Arsenic and Old Lace) Sydney Greenstreet (Maltese Falcon, Across the Pacific) William Demarest (All Through the Night) Alan Hale (Adventures of Robin Hood, Dodge City) Frank McHugh (Fighting 69th, Roaring Twenties) William Bendix (The Glass Key, The Blue Dahlia) J. Carrol Naish (Beau Geste, Sahara) Dan Duryea (Winchester '73, Ride Clear of Diablo) Eduardo Cianelli (Gunga Din, Passage to Marseille) |
Lfseeney | 11 Dec 2014 6:48 p.m. PST |
Is Denton the town with the burned down city square about a half mile from the present one? It was a small town in TX, just not sure which. Thanks for the list, good stuff here. Older movie, Robert Mitchum I think was the lead, a preacher in 1930 ish Mexico. Carried a tommy gun, and a throwing cross with a blade. |
The Shadow | 12 Dec 2014 10:21 a.m. PST |
>>Older movie, Robert Mitchum I think was the lead, a preacher in 1930 ish Mexico. Older movie, Robert Mitchum I think was the lead, a preacher in 1930 ish Mexico. Carried a tommy gun, and a throwing cross with a blade.<< "The Wrath of God" 1973 |
warren bruhn | 22 Dec 2014 7:24 p.m. PST |
I enjoyed watching the Republic serial "The Crimson Ghost." There's a few of the old serials on Youtube. Liked "Red Dust" with Clark Gable and Jean Harlow, though there wasn't enough Pulp to it. The 1950's Sheena series was very Pulpy. |
Twoball Cane | 23 Dec 2014 6:26 p.m. PST |
A very great and over looked style of building are the stunning and mysterious freemason temples. one should look inside and outside….most in my area are circa 1920s. Tours are usually allowed, on certain days open to the public. I'll see if I can post a few pics of the one I belong to. The peak of modern masonry was around the 20s…they potentially could be pulpy, although no movies about them worth a hoot
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Twoball Cane | 23 Dec 2014 6:32 p.m. PST |
Scottish rite room with painted ceiling….faces in clouds {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252 {\fonttbl\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Helvetica;} {\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;\red171\green171\blue161;\red24\green24\blue23;} \deftab720 \pard\pardeftab720\sl360\partightenfactor0
\f0\fs24 \cf2 \cb3 \expnd0\expndtw0\kerning0 \outl0\strokewidth0 \strokec2 theminiaturespage.com
}"TMP link |
Twoball Cane | 23 Dec 2014 6:34 p.m. PST |
Can't tell you what this is for {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252 {\fonttbl\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Helvetica;} {\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;\red171\green171\blue161;\red24\green24\blue23;} \deftab720 \pard\pardeftab720\sl360\partightenfactor0
\f0\fs24 \cf2 \cb3 \expnd0\expndtw0\kerning0 \outl0\strokewidth0 \strokec2 url=http://imgur.com/YoQxzeM]
} |
Twoball Cane | 23 Dec 2014 6:36 p.m. PST |
Ooops u weren't supposed to see this pic ;) {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252 {\fonttbl\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Helvetica;} {\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;\red171\green171\blue161;\red24\green24\blue23;} \deftab720 \pard\pardeftab720\sl360\partightenfactor0 \f0\fs24 \cf2 \cb3 \expnd0\expndtw0\kerning0 \outl0\strokewidth0 \strokec2 url=http://imgur.com/sArSk7O]
} |
Twoball Cane | 23 Dec 2014 6:52 p.m. PST |
Seldom used old pool hall. {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252 {\fonttbl\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Helvetica;} {\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;\red171\green171\blue161;\red24\green24\blue23;} \deftab720 \pard\pardeftab720\sl360\partightenfactor0
\f0\fs24 \cf2 \cb3 \expnd0\expndtw0\kerning0 \outl0\strokewidth0 \strokec2 url=http://imgur.com/pEjQBg7]
} |
capncarp | 27 Dec 2014 4:24 p.m. PST |
The blue panel with all the switches looks hauntingly like an old theatre lighting/power board, with the on/off flip switches below the adjustable lever switches. and the black-headed levers may be the master levers for their sides of the board (one left, one right: pull the masters down and the individual ones will lock to it and go down, too.) the knobs on the ends of the levers can twist to either lock or unlock the lever from its current position, handy if you need to keep a light at a certain brightness and not worry about it being moved easily when other levers are thrown. |
Twoball Cane | 28 Dec 2014 7:29 a.m. PST |
Hey cap your dead on! We can make dusk to dawn in that first picture and even the stars twinkle In the sky….pretty amazing for how old the building is and it is as it was technology wise. |