| July 27, 2003 Home | ||
| 7:58:35
PM) You have just entered room "Jeanette Chat." (7:58:39 PM) Dugan EK has entered the room. (7:58:41 PM) SokorraK has entered the room. SokorraK (7:59:01 PM): Hey Dugan EK (7:59:10 PM): Hello SokorraK (7:59:10 PM): Tonight's topic is Jeanette's Films SokorraK (7:59:17 PM): Smilin' Though Dugan EK (7:59:23 PM): Oh, I thought it was movie villains -- ?? SokorraK (7:59:31 PM): Broadway Serenade SokorraK (7:59:36 PM): And Firefly SokorraK (7:59:41 PM): no, thats just a topic on the list Dugan EK (7:59:55 PM): Okay. (8:00:27 PM) DIXC has entered the room. SokorraK (8:00:34 PM): Ok, First Film: FireFly DIXC (8:00:52 PM): Made it. Thanks to you.:-) MamaLion27 (8:01:50 PM): Firefly is not one of my favorite films. I always felt Allan Jones exuded an arrogance not commensurate with his talent. Dugan EK (8:02:14 PM): The character is supposed to be arrogant, of course. Dugan EK (8:02:27 PM): Otherwise, Jeanette would like him right away. MamaLion27 (8:03:03 PM): Perhaps. But I guess I felt it was his offscreen persona as well. DIXC (8:03:09 PM): His Donkey Seranade caught my eye early. But his acting when I saw Firefly does not have any magic SokorraK (8:05:28 PM): I never saw the film but I have never really heard anything good about Allen Jones. SokorraK (8:05:40 PM): *Allan Dugan EK (8:05:53 PM): Oh, DO see the film before judging for yourself. I think he is quite good in it. SokorraK (8:05:57 PM): Should remember that...Alan is spelled that way...just add one more l DIXC (8:05:58 PM): Nice guy. Fair voice.:'( SokorraK (8:07:01 PM): What songs were sung in the film? Any duets? Dugan EK (8:07:11 PM): He and his wife were friends with Jeanette and Gene -- SokorraK (8:07:57 PM): From what I heard he complained about parts getting cut because Nelson said too SokorraK (8:08:10 PM): Not in Fire-fly but in the films they were in together DIXC (8:08:32 PM): Nelson had him on his early years concert productions in Penn. SokorraK (8:09:10 PM): What songs were sung though? Were there any duets or did they sing seperatly in all thesongs DIXC (8:09:13 PM): Rubbish. Nelson was not the director. Dugan EK (8:09:17 PM): Just checked the music list on my website. The only true duet they sang was "Giannina Mia" in the finale of the film. Dugan EK (8:10:37 PM): In "Sympathy," they sang alternate verses. SokorraK (8:11:01 PM): So two songs were done together SokorraK (8:11:05 PM): Thats not alot SokorraK (8:11:45 PM): Usually they have more songs unless it is one leading actor/ess who didn't sing (like Alexander's Ragtime Band) Dugan EK (8:12:17 PM): She listened while he sang "Donkey Serenade" and "Giannina Mia," he listened while she sang "Love Is Like a Firefly" and "He Who Loves and Runs Away." Dugan EK (8:12:57 PM): Jeanette sang "When a Maid Comes Knocking" to Warren William. Dugan EK (8:13:23 PM): And Jeanette had two big dance numbers. MamaLion27 (8:13:48 PM): Was it because their voices weren't as simpatico together as hers and Nelson's? Dugan EK (8:15:10 PM): Jones was a tenor, and it is usually the tenor who gets the duets with the soprano. Probably just the structure of the film. DIXC (8:15:22 PM): Nelson could harmonize around J regular voice. Very few are such an artist or humble enough rto do it. MamaLion27 (8:16:04 PM): I have not heard anyone with Jeanette who sounded as great as the Baritone! DIXC (8:16:08 PM): "To" Dugan EK (8:17:07 PM): Interesting that her album with Robert Merrill is with another baritone. DIXC (8:18:32 PM): Merril a great singer, but he did not try to harmonize to her range. MamaLion27 (8:18:34 PM): There I am at a loss since I haven't heard that one. However, I think it is in the collection I got from Bea. I just haven't gotten to it yet. Dugan EK (8:19:19 PM): "Up in Central Park" Dugan EK (8:19:42 PM): Jeanette is adorable singing "The Fireman's Bride." Another singer who recorded that is Celeste Holm. SokorraK (8:19:50 PM): Alright Film two: Smilin' Through. DIXC (8:20:21 PM): The secret to their sucess was Nelson would not use his regular rand as they dueted in many places and it sounded perfect Dugan EK (8:20:33 PM): Too bad she didn't have a singing costar -- or rather than Gene Raymond's pop singing voice didn't mesh with hers. DIXC (8:20:39 PM): "RANGE" DIXC (8:21:12 PM): Can't spell tonight again. Sorry. MamaLion27 (8:21:23 PM): Again I thought Gene Raymond was out of his element here. He was neither a good actor or a good singer.A classic singer should have gotten the part. MamaLion27 (8:22:23 PM): Jeanette was usually pretty astute about those things. DIXC (8:22:44 PM): Gene was fine as an actor, but should not sing in PUBLIC Dugan EK (8:22:46 PM): I think they wanted to work together -- it seemed logical. Dugan EK (8:23:12 PM): Oh, come on -- he was cute as a bug's ear in those Ann Sothern musicals -- even wrote some of the songs. MamaLion27 (8:23:16 PM): Well, the picture didn't fare too well at the box office. MamaLion27 (8:24:13 PM): I saw the Ann Sothern musicals, EK and I can't imagine him as a bug's ear. Dugan EK (8:24:25 PM): Awwww. DIXC (8:24:26 PM): Some actors did some singing but were not considered a singer Dugan EK (8:24:42 PM): Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable -- DIXC (8:25:39 PM): All great actors who shouldn't sing even in the shower, alone. MamaLion27 (8:26:18 PM): Brian Aherne wasn't in his usual fine form either in this film. Dugan EK (8:26:22 PM): Anyway, neither Gene nor Brian Aherne sang in Smilin' Through. MamaLion27 (8:26:52 PM): I prefer the Howard/Shearer film. MamaLion27 (8:27:19 PM): No one sang! Dugan EK (8:27:23 PM): The story was very old-fashioned by World War II -- Dugan EK (8:27:46 PM): Yet the attempt to put Jeanette in "modern" musical -- Broadway Serenade -- had bombed. DIXC (8:28:09 PM): Paint your wagon had 2 non singers and it made a POOR film for us to see. MamaLion27 (8:28:10 PM): Yes. Again a poor choice of script and leading man. DIXC (8:29:36 PM): Some actors were in 50 films and many, many were not so good. MamaLion27 (8:30:18 PM): Lew Ayres was a fine actor but this wasn't his shining hour. DIXC (8:30:23 PM): The good actors are lucky to be in several great pictures. DIXC (8:31:16 PM): I was lucky to see all Nelson pictures because forme HE JUST HAD TO SING and the best were with J. DIXC (8:32:17 PM): Saw them all in movie houses, because I am a little older than most here. DIXC (8:33:20 PM): Lew Ayers was a great actor but was miss-cast here with J. Dugan EK (8:33:36 PM): He is too young for her -- MamaLion27 (8:34:00 PM): As i have said before I didn't get to see any of the Nelson/Jeanette movies before video because movies weren't in the budget when I was growing up, DIXC (8:34:08 PM): Did not click and 2 great people. Dugan EK (8:35:22 PM): Just checked. Lew Ayres was 5 years younger than J, but he LOOKED even younger than that -- boyish charm that stuck with him for decades. DIXC (8:35:52 PM): My mother adored J and took us only to HER pictures because of lack of money then. But we would see every Jeanette film MamaLion27 (8:35:53 PM): Yes, that sometimes worked against him. DIXC (8:36:50 PM): Loved his speaking voice -L. A. Dugan EK (8:37:08 PM): I remember -- tickets were 12 cents -- but I made 15 cents an hour. Equivalent of $10 today which is what most movies cost. MamaLion27 (8:37:13 PM): So did I. DIXC (8:38:19 PM): My dad died in 1930, so we had some problems finding money for shows. MamaLion27 (8:39:03 PM): By the time I was a teenager and the family budget had gone up, the N/J movies were no longer being shown. Dugan EK (8:39:35 PM): Aren't we lucky to live in this age -- revivals, videos, TV! DIXC (8:40:01 PM): You are so CORRECT! MamaLion27 (8:40:21 PM): Yes. I am so thankful we can go back and enjoy the great old classics and even the bombs! Dugan EK (8:40:44 PM): Even bombs have much to teach and great moments to offer. MamaLion27 (8:41:06 PM): I can even now watch "Birth of a Nation" from 1915. Dugan EK (8:41:28 PM): Or the Meliès Brothers films from 1895. DIXC (8:41:40 PM): I could tolerate the films with music even if critics did not Dugan EK (8:41:51 PM): We are coming up to the 100th anniversary of movies. MamaLion27 (8:41:52 PM): I don't have a copy of those yet. DIXC (8:43:57 PM): My mother an accomplished piano player played in theaters the piano for the silent films. Dugan EK (8:44:12 PM): Oh, wow! How great! MamaLion27 (8:44:33 PM): OOH. We are now having a very loud thunderstorm so I may be exiting here soon. DIXC (8:45:32 PM): Good luck. We had 3 inches of rain earlier, but no problems. MamaLion27 (8:45:59 PM): We have had so much rain we are under constant flood watches. MamaLion27 (8:46:19 PM): I guess we just got your rain, Dick! Dugan EK (8:46:57 PM): We had visitors from Pakistan last week who were delighted with our 50 degree temperatures in San Francisco after a week in Dallas where it was 100. DIXC (8:47:08 PM): Think you're again.=-O DIXC (8:48:00 PM): Think you"re right again=-O DIXC (8:48:44 PM): Will learn to type some day, hopefully.O:-) MamaLion27 (8:48:55 PM): I keep the candles out! MamaLion27 (8:49:32 PM): I would like to send some of this excess water to the fire zones! DIXC (8:50:03 PM): We are always looking for the flashlights this year, to use if we have to. MamaLion27 (8:50:27 PM): Either of you going to the street naming? DIXC (8:50:54 PM): The Lord must have lost His USA map. DIXC (8:51:54 PM): We will be on a vacation to Windsor and Niagara at that time. MamaLion27 (8:52:43 PM): I am going if I can get all the babysitters lined up. I am prime babysitter for my new great-granddaughter while her mother goes back to school. Dugan EK (8:53:46 PM): I'd LOVE to go to the street naming, but my arthritis is kicking up and I've not been leaving the house -- MamaLion27 (8:54:31 PM): Oh, I am so sorry EK. That must be a painful sojourn. I hope it gets better soon. Dugan EK (8:55:02 PM): Me too! As Sylvia Sidney said, getting old is the pits. (She used another word.) DIXC (8:55:15 PM): Tough to get rid of that problem. MamaLion27 (8:55:29 PM): I can just imagine. Sylvia was quite colorful! Dugan EK (8:56:09 PM): Happily, my daughter has decided to get a grant not to grow old. (Family joke.) MamaLion27 (8:56:47 PM): I have reluctant joints and creaky bones but it is just irritating not painful. DIXC (8:57:01 PM): She decided not to reach your age? ha, ha Till later.:-) Dugan EK (8:57:17 PM): Have a good week -- DIXC (8:58:10 PM): We have to go now soon also. See you in chat next Sunday, I hope.:-) Dugan EK (8:58:31 PM): Bye -- MamaLion27 (8:58:32 PM): Everyone keep healthy and happy. (8:58:36 PM) Dugan EK has left the room. DIXC (8:58:45 PM): Bye:-) MamaLion27 (8:58:52 PM): Bye all. DIXC (8:59:12 PM): Take care:-) (8:59:16 PM) DIXC has left the room posted on August 5, 2003 |