Comments on: 2 For the Road

By: morlockjeff

morlockjeff — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:47:17 +0000

Moira, I’m with you on wanting to see all of Hayden’s films and TCM is going to be showing some obscure ones on 8/22: TEN DAYS TO TULARA, THE GOLDEN HAWK, THE IRON SHERIFF, and MANHANDLED (a noir with him, Dorothy Lamour (!), and Dan Duryea. He’d probably dismiss them all as junk – he was his own worst critic. But one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

By: moirafinnie

moirafinnie — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:35:38 +0000

Hey, this is great. THREE bloggers in a row here have made me laugh out loud today. I am looking forward to this movie after your vivid description of 5 Steps to Danger next month. Partly it's because I can never resist a hokey cold war movie and partly because, since seeing the wonderful noir Crime Wave (1954), I've decided to dedicate my life to seeing every Sterling Hayden movie ever, no matter how lame. (So far Hellgate, from 1952, is one of the choicest cheapies from Hayden's "doing penance on film" period). I like Ruth Roman, but you're right, she's a big broth of a girl, and her heavy breathing acting style needed molding by a good director (other than Hitchcock). I liked her in the police procedural, Down Three Dark Streets (1954) when she played a rather dim but physically well-matched citizen working with the bullheaded cop, Broderick Crawford, (whose character may or may not have had a crush on her). She was also quite lively in the less constrictive genre of Westerns, such as Colt .45(1950) when she had a chance to take the law into her own hands a few times and ride like the wind. Thanks for the laughs, though, Jeff, and the others. I really appreciate them.

By: Al Lowe

Al Lowe — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 23:41:42 +0000

I saw some of the films Ruth Roman made during her heyday – Dallas, Strangers on a Train, The Far Country, Three Secrets.

She guested on a fourth season episode of Murder She Wrote, along with Gloria DeHaven, Kathryn Grayson, Julia Adams, Dody Goodman and series star Angela Lansbury. It was called “If it is Thursday It Must Be Beverly.” It concerned a youngish sheriff’s deputy who spent his on-duty nights romancing each of these attractive but mature ladies (except for Angela). His wife is killed and the ladies become suspects, including beauty shop operator Ruth. What surprised me was one close-up of Ruth at the end that made her look really ugly (and no, she’s not the murderer). It made me think she must have annoyed somebody connected with the production. On DVD close-ups of leading players should look good.

Betsy Drake, who was married to Cary Grant at the time, also survived the Andrea Doria sinking.

By: Mr. Blobby (England)

Mr. Blobby (England) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:03:55 +0000

Ruth Roman is a fascinating, underrated actress and I love her in many films, especially her breakout role Champion, The Window (she’s creepy and sympathetic like the Nancy character in Dickens’ Oliver Twist), Beyond the Forest (though she’s no match for Bette Davis in that), Anthony Mann’s The Far Country, and Great Day in the Morning (a truly tragic character in a B western). I never saw 5 Steps to Danger – and will now – but it seems she made too many B movies and I’m sure it wasn’t her choice. Most people don’t know she (and her son Dickie) were survivors of the Andrea Doria disaster, a luxury liner that sank in 1956. 1660 passengers and crew survived but 46 died and who wants to win that lottery?

By: medusamorlock

medusamorlock — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 19:06:30 +0000

This looks like a winner! We’re glad your local station had that particular movie package — it made you the Morlock you are today! :-)

Great post! Ruth Roman is an interesting actress…liked her in a crazy episode of “Outer Limits” called “The Moonstone”. She was indeed intense and kind of like Anne Bancroft on steroids, to me. Very watchable actress!

Loved this and can’t wait to watch the movie next month!