9/21/2019

a classic bette davis film

bette davis.  1 of the greatest film actresses of all time.  she won the oscar for 'dangerous' and for 'jezebel.'  she was nominated many more times.

her classic films include 'all about eve,' 'dark victory,' 'now voyager,' 'the petrified forest,' 'whatever happened to baby jane,' 'the old maid,' 'hush, hush sweet charlotte,' 'the little foxes,' 'the letter,' 'in this our life,' 'the man who came to dinner,' 'old acquaintance,' 'deception,' 'death on the nile,' 'of human bondage' ...

tcm showed another classic this week - 'dead ringer.'

this is dubbed a 'thriller' by wikipedia but it's actually a film noir - and a classic 1.

the film's premise?  what would you do if the only man you ever loved was stolen from you and then, 18 years later, you learn that the woman who stole him never loved him?

that's the premise of this film directed by paul henreid.

the film opens with edith (bette davis) going to frank's funeral.  his widow, all in black (including thick veil), notices her and notices her throwing a spring of heather on the open grave.  the widow is margaret who beckons her over.

margaret?  she's edie's sister, her twin sister. 

margaret trapped frank into marriage - she was 'pregnant.'



'pregnant'?  after they finish talking at margaret's mansion, as henry drives edie home, edie learns that there was never a child.

she already knows that margaret didn't love frank.

now edie?  she owns a failing jazz club.  she's being kicked out at the end of the month because she hasn't paid rent in 3 months.

her boyfriend (karl malden) is a police officer who wants to marry her.

but edith can't get over losing frank and now knowing that margaret didn't even love him.

so she plots to kill maggie.

from there it's 1 twist after another.

this is a popular film but it needs to be reconsidered because it is also a classic film.  a film noir clssic as solid as 'the postman rings twice,' 'humoresque,' 'the damned don't cry,' 'the stranger,' 'midlred pierce,' 'the lady from shanghai,' 'the glass key,' 'double indemnity,' 'the maltese falcon,' 'kiss me deadly,' 'out of the past,' 'in a lonely place,' 'angel face,' 'gilda,' 'the hitch-hiker,' etc.

it's a strong film that pulls you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

the cast is excellent.  1st and foremost, that's bette davis absolutely.  that's also karl, peter lawford (possibly his strongest performance ever), jean hagen and estelle winwood.




let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'


Friday, September 20, 2019.

In the United States, the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination continues.


Younger Black Voters to Their Parents: Break Up With Joe Biden, I’m Bored. An organic effort by black millennials and Gen Z-ers to influence older family members against Mr. Biden may be important in the Democratic primary.
 
 


He's referring to Astead W. Herndon's report for THE NEW YORK TIMES.  The report fails to note that similar efforts took place in previous elections, including in 2008.  There was, for instance, "the great schlep" where voters were encouraged to get their Jewish grandparents in Florida to vote for Barack Obama.  THE NEW YORK TIMES' own reporting of that effort ran October 5, 2008 and was entitled "Sarah Silverman's Message to Your Grandma: Vote Obama."

From Herndon's article:

For Mr. Biden, though, students carried mixed feelings. They respected his tenure as Barack Obama’s vice president, but implicitly rejected his campaign’s central premise, that the primary goal of Democrats in the 2020 election should be defeating President Trump.
They pointed to systemic problems they said the country must address, such as inequality, climate change and gun violence. The Democratic nominee, they said, should embrace progressive proposals like canceling student loan debt, the Green New Deal and gun buyback programs. 


Most News Now: Younger Black Voters to Their Parents: Break Up With Joe Biden, I’m Bored
 
 



As a voter, you are much more likely to be influenced by someone you know and face-to-face contact is always stronger than any other.  The efforts these activists are undertaking will have some success.  It could be a huge success depending upon how much effort is put into the action.

Joe Biden wants to lead.  But when has his leadership ever been a good thing?  In last week's debate, Bernie Sanders noted the reality of Joe's 'wisdom.'


Sen. Bernie Sanders to Joe Biden: "The big mistake, the huge mistake, and one of the big differences between you and me: I never believed what Cheney and Bush said about Iraq." "I voted against the war in Iraq, and helped lead the opposition."  
1:39
 
 


. "One of the big differences between you (Joe Biden) and me. I never believed Bush and Cheney on Iraq."
 
 
"Iraq is the biggest foreign policy disaster of at least the past 45 years. Bernie Sanders was completely right about it. Joe Biden was completely wrong. That is something to hammer him over and over again."
 
 
The YUGE difference between Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden: Bernie led the fight against the Iraq War. Biden followed Bush and Cheney.
 
 
WATCH THIS: In just one minute defines the difference between his vision & Joe Biden’s on: the Iraq war, disastrous trade deals, Wall St. bailout, the bankruptcy bill, & healthcare as a right. It’s clear, concise, & brilliant. Thank you
 
 
Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders went back and forth on Biden's support for the war in Iraq.
 
 
: I never believed Cheney and Bush. Unlike Joe Biden, not only did I vote against the Iraq War, I led the fight to prevent it.
 
 


Joe's never shown real leadership.  But now, at 76, Joe swears, if you give him a chance, he's finally ready to show leadership.


Biden is Clinton 2.0. Elite uber wealthy politicians who voted for the Iraq war & sat for . If truly cared about Americans, he’d drop out. You had your time. Pass the torch to someone who can lead us out of this darkness.
 
 

Yesterday on KPFA's FLASHPOINTS, host Dennis Bernstein and guest Norman Solomon discussed Joe's corporate ties.

On Iraq, Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Zeina Karam (AP) report:

It is wedged between Saudi Arabia to the south and Iran to the east and hosts thousands of U.S. troops on its soil. At the same time, powerful Shiite paramilitary forces linked to Iran pose a growing challenge to the authority of the central government.
As the pressure mounts, divisions within Iraq’s pro-Iranian factions have burst into the open, threatening to collapse a fragile government coalition and end a rare reprieve from the violence that has plagued the country for years.
“Regional challenges facing Iraq will make it even more difficult for Adel Abdel-Mahdi to bring the (militias) under control,” said Randa Slim, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, referring to Iraq’s prime minister.
The divisions among Iran’s Shiite allies in Iraq have been spurred by a spate of airstrikes blamed on Israel that have hit weapons depots and bases belonging to the Iran-backed militias, known collectively as the Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF.

Why isn't Joe asked every day about how to address Iraq?  He voted for the war that destroyed the country.  That alone should make him responsible for coming up with solutions.  He can't stop bragging that Barack Obama tasked him, as vice president, to deal with Iraq.  If he wants to brag about that, he needs to be asked about that.

He claims today that Bully Boy Bush tricked him into supporting the Iraq War.  Is Bush still tricking him?  Is he tricking Joe into silence?

Joe needs to stop his folklore stories and start addressing reality.  If the press isn't up to demanding that from him, they just need to admit that they're worthless.


The following sites updated: