Comments on: Reelin’ in the Years

By: morlockjeff

morlockjeff — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:41:32 +0000

Wow! Al, that is amazing that you had that information! Thanks for the details. Now if we only had a video of Tony’s day in Tucson….

By: Al Lowe

Al Lowe — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:23:50 +0000

Sometimes I wonder: Do I throw anything away?
Much to my surprise I have the March 25, 2000 issue of TV Guide that has an article on the Millers of Tuscon, Ariz. and their day with Tony Curtis. I didn’t save it for that reason. The attraction was a cover story on Cybil Shephard.
The article points out that an episode of the 60s cartoon series “The Flintstones” featured a promotional stunt with prehistoric idol Stony Curtis, voiced by Tony. Mrs. Miller won the TCM contest by writing that she would treat Tony better than the modern Stone Age family did.
The Millers suggested taking Tony to the rodeo. Tony and his wife, Jill – described in the article as tall, as attractive as a supermodel, 45 years younger than him and never far from his side – both liked horses and were enthusiastic about the idea.
Mr. and Mrs. Miller rode with Tony in a horse drawn cart in the rodeo parade and sat in the grandstand with him watching rodeo events.
The writer of the article, someone named Joe Rhodes, called Curtis “a 74-year-old working the crowd like he is running for sheriff.”
When he appeared in Pittsburgh for a show, someone who saw Curtis backstage said he was a very nice guy. In the article he said he’d like to tell younger stars they should sit back and enjoy being famous. “Fame is not a negative thing.”

By: Al Lowe

Al Lowe — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:21:19 +0000

It is time to shake things up a bit.

Remember American Movie Classics?

For younger viewers, I have to say that AMC was not what it is now. It was once a legitimate competitor for TCM.
It, too, had a remarkable selection of old films. It also had a wonderful host, who turned out to be an actor pretending to be a movie expert.
But the channel chose to go for appealing to the lowest common denominator and relying on commercials.
This should scare us all a little bit. I hope that TCM never makes the same choice.

Congratulations, TCM, on your anniversary.

By: s.w.a.c.

s.w.a.c. — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:41:40 +0000

No that was Stony “Slave Boy” Curtis.

Sadly, I’ve lived the last 15 years jealous of those with TCM (not available in my neck of the Canadian woods), and had to make do with VHS, laserdiscs, and DVDs of the lesser-known classics. Heck, I also love If You Could Only Cook, but I had to drive to Cinefest in Syracuse to see it. I’m glad to see a reference to it here though, it’s a comedy I’d love to be able to see again (if only for my irrational love of Lionel Stander roles…”You put gahlic in the sawce!?!”).

And thanks for that still from The Dogway Melody, always a favourite to put on when I want to see my friends’ jaws hit the floor.

By: Jeff Mclachlan

Jeff Mclachlan — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:29:35 +0000

I thought it was Fred Flintstone that won a day with Tony Curtis?

By: Rufus Kind

Rufus Kind — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 23:26:09 +0000

I, for one, would love to see a video of the day Tony Curtis spent with a stranger in Tucson. He could have ended up in a lot of worse places. Yes, a lot of amazing films have filtered through TCM month to month, year to year. Unless you religiously go through the guide and circle and record the important ones or watch them live or check the web site schedule – probably the most accurate – then you will miss films you can’t believe even exist. I didn’t have TCM in 1998 so I missed the crazy Juan Luis Bunuel film. Please bring it back TCM! And more vintage Bollywood (not the recent crap), Silver Lode and based on Stacia’s comment above, I think I’m finally ready for ABBA: The Movie.

By: Stacia

Stacia — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 22:40:18 +0000

I loved TBS’ movies and ADORED “Monstervision”. I miss it to this day. I know Rob Zombie didn’t work out for “Underground”, so it’s my official suggestion TCM get Joe Bob instead. He would have been great for “2000 Maniacs” — he does an intro on the VHS version of the film.

I also first saw “The Unknown” back in 1997. TCM was showing a sepia-toned print at the time and I never got a chance to record it, even though it aired with the sepia tone 2-3 times. Since then they’ve only shown the B&W print. I miss the sepia-toned one, personally, but more for sentimental reasons. And I also got into a huge flame war with some jerk on Usenet who insisted TCM had never shown “The Unknown”, and of course the ‘net was pretty sparse in 1997 and there were no links I could give him to show TCM had indeed aired the movie. (Yes, I’m holding a 12-year Internet grudge, why do you ask?)

I spent a terrific New Year’s Eve at home with my husband watching ABBA: The Movie on TCM. We still talk about it.

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:37:06 +0000

I am also grateful for TCM. No where else can you find these classic and hard to find and obscure films. Especially shown in there original format, and uncut.

Maybe in the future, TCM can do a special on Moroni Olsen, who seemed to be in every film made in the 30’s and 40’s?