The Embracing Fortitude of An Obliging AfterLife: The Kindly Ghost

THE CANTERVILLE GHOST 1947

One of my favorite film makers, Jules Dassin’s 1944 whimsical romp starring the always wonderful Charles Laughton as the cowardly, lovable and brooding, Sir Simon de Canterville. Also starring pixie Margaret O’Brien and Robert Young. Based on Oscar Wilde’s story of the 17th century cowardly Sir Simon who runs from a duel, only to be sealed into a room by his father who is ashamed of his son. Doomed to roam the castle until his American kin Cuffy can break the curse and set him free.

THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES 1946

Directed by Charles Barton this haunted history lesson stars the iconic comedy duo Bud Abbott and Lou Costello with Marjorie Reynolds. Lou plays Horatio Prim. Bud Abbott plays a dual role as Dr Ralph Greenway the ancestor of Cuthbert Greenway. The beautiful Marjorie plays Melody Allen. Horatio and Melody have been condemned as traitors during the Revolutionary War, and now must try and track down a letter from George Washington proving their innocence. There is a hilarious scene with a pair of women’s under things running down the stairs scaring the bejesus out of Gale Sondergaard.

THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR 1947

Directed by another favorite of mine Joseph L Mankiewicz and starring again, one of my all time favorite screen beauties, Gene Tierney as Mrs. Lucy Muir who moves into an old sea captain’s cottage only to find it inhabited by Captain Daniel Cregg played by the marvelously droll and often irascible Rex Harrison. This is such a poignantly well told story of a gruff and hearty love that reaches from beyond the grave.

TOPPER 1937

Cary Grant and Constance Bennett (Marion and George Kerby) drive way too reckless. After realizing that they have died, they decide to have some fun with their uptight friend Cosmo Topper played by Roland Young. Directed by Norman McLeod

PORTRAIT OF JENNIE 1948

Another beautifully poetic haunted romance directed by yet again, a favored director of mine William Dieterle. Starring the effervescent Jennifer Jones and everyman actor Joseph Cotten. Jones plays Jennie Appleton and Cotten is Eben Adams the struggling painter she inspires. Great performances by Ethel Barrymore,Lillian Gish and Cecil Kellaway. Is Jennie real or merely a dream?

AND OF COURSE THIS CUTE LITTLE GUY!

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The Killers 1946: Brutal Noir & A Cast Of Exciting Unknowns

The Killers directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner, has one of the most powerful openings scenes to any film. Perhaps one of the greatest Noir films ever screened.

The song “A Cast Of Exciting Unknowns” appears on my album The Last Drive In

The Monsters’s Gaze: A Tribute To Killer Love

**The song Longer appears on my album Hunting Down The Ceremony Vol.1**

MonsterGirl (jogabriel)

Nightmare Alley 1947 Carnival Noir and lifes Little Birds

Edmund Goulding’s Carnival Noir masterpiece starring Tyrone Power as the opportunistic mentalist.Also starring Joan Blondell, Coleen Gray and Helen Walker.

Jo Gabriel’s “Little Birds” remixed by Mark Sheppard originally appears on the album Hunting Down The Ceremony Vol.1

MonsterGirl (jogabriel)

Jane Eyre (1943) Joan Fontaine & Orson Welles: Charlotte BrontÃ«s beloved captives

JANE EYRE 1943 Directed by Robert Stevenson and Adapted from theÂ Charlotte BrontÃ« novel by John Houseman, Aldous Huxley and Stevenson.

Starring the lovely Joan Fontaine as the empathetic Jane, Orson Welles as the brooding Edward Rochester, the great unsung character actor Henry Daniell, and 2 very young and wonderful actresses the uncredited immortal Elizabeth Taylor as Helen Burns and the pixie Margaret O’Brien as Adele. Also appearances by Agnes Moorehead and Hillary Brooke. And Peggy Ann Garner as young Jane.

Jo Gabriel’s Poison In The Well appears on my album Fools and Orphans.

MonsterGirl (jogabriel)

Val Lewton’s “I Walked With A Zombie” (1943) Elements of Jane Eyre, Colonialism and The Synergy of Sound

Val Lewton’s Masterpiece on a low budget for RKO. Directed by Jacques Tourneur and story by Curt Siodmak

Jo Gabriel’s “Sway” appears on my album The Amber Sessions

I will be doing a major feature on the work of Val Lewton in the coming months, his masterworks in shadow are some of the most evocative films ever screened.

MonsterGirl (JoGabriel)

MonsterGirl Quicky: Bette Davis with Dick Cavett on Gratitude and Hollywood

BETTE DAVIS INTERVIEW WITH DICK CAVETT: Snippet on gratitude and working in Hollywood

This is why I love this woman; she is immortal, she is extraordinary, there will never be another like her!

M.G.

Grande Dame/Guignol Cinema: Aldrich’s Hag Cinema: Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte 1964 Part IV “Murder starts in the heart and it’s first weapon is a vicious tongue”

HUSH…HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE (1964) – Continued

Charlotte is sipping her coffee and hears a car pull up. She’s holding her shotgun. She sets the china cup down and starts to get up, moving toward the door, we hear a small bird chirping, then the police vehicle coming up the drive encircled by glorious oak trees. Charlotte closes the door and runs to the great hall calling “Velma!” Velma comes to the top of the banister looking through the wooden slats down at Charlotte. She hangs over the edge “What?” in a long drawn-out suspension of the word.

Velma is unpretentious and could be perceived as a crude woman. She’s like an unmade bed or someone who looks like she just rolled out of one, and she doesn’t throw away her words. She strong, sensible and reliable. Velma, disheveled, unkempt by the years of working as a caretaker to her Miss Charlotte, is misleadingly simple yet she is sturdy and obviously faithful to her mistress. Continue reading “Grande Dame/Guignol Cinema: Aldrich’s Hag Cinema: Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte 1964 Part IV “Murder starts in the heart and it’s first weapon is a vicious tongue”” →

March 23, 2011 – A Legend, Elizabeth Taylor dies at 79: Girl with the violet eyes…

“I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I’m not afraid to look behind them.”
– Elizabeth Taylor

Today we lost a true legend. One of the most evocatively beautiful and Dionysian actresses of all time, and a passionate humanitarian. To say Elizabeth Taylor is one of my favorite people would sound contrived and pale inadequately to how much I truly love her. Dame Elizabeth was and always will be what dreams are made of.

Elizabeth Taylor was indeed a legendary actress known for her stunning beauty, captivating performances, and undeniable screen presence. Many people have described her as a true Hollywood icon and an embodiment of grace and elegance. Her ability to emote and convey a wide range of emotions on-screen was one of her greatest talents.

Taylor had a unique ability to portray complex characters with depth and authenticity. Whether she was expressing joy, sorrow, love, or despair, her emotive power was unparalleled. Her raw sensuality, expressive violet eyes, radiant smile, and subtle gestures allowed her to connect with audiences on a profound level. She could effortlessly captivate viewers with her every movement and expression.

Throughout her illustrious career, Taylor showcased her emotional range in films like “Cleopatra,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and some very obscure films but no less significant due to her evocative presence. Her performances garnered critical acclaim and multiple Academy Awards, further solidifying her status as a cinematic goddess.

Off-screen, Taylor was also known for her philanthropic work and her genuine compassion for others. Her charisma and ability to connect with people transcended the silver screen, making her beloved by fans worldwide.

Elizabeth Taylor possessed a unique ability to emote like a goddess, captivating audiences with her beauty, talent, and raw emotional power. She will always be remembered as one of the greatest actresses of all time.