The Steampunk World
Singular Girl and I went on a date to see "The Maltese Falcon" showing in Grant Park. What a great movie! Y'see, I used to think that old movies were all fuddy-duddy and dry. But Singular Girl got me to watch some of the the old classics, and I discovered they were just as bawdy as today's movies! They just had a little class about it back in the day. Of course, her parents only watched old movies because new movies are all filthy and sexual, so I think they must have been blind to the innuendo.
The movie was showing under the stars, and there were thousands of people there. The park is surrounded by the skyline on three sides and the lake on the fourth. It's nice, you show up early with a picnic and eat it while you watch the sun set- though in the city, you don't watch the sun set so much as you watch the skyline come out.
Half of The Maltese Falcon is funny because it's supposed to be, and the other half is funny because of the way things have changed. Sam Spade learns of his partner's death, calls his secretary, and says, "Now listen, Precious. Miles has been shot...Yeah, dead. Now don't get excited..." He's just so deadpan, so emotionally cold. He sees his partner's dead body, and when a cop asks him, "It's tough, him getting it like that, ain't it? Miles had his faults just like any of the rest of us, but I guess he must have had some good points too, huh?" Sam says, "I guess so." What an emotional outpouring!
Everybody's smoking in every scene. When Sam's not smoking, he's rolling a cigarette. In between tokes, they're all downing scotch. Two cops come over to grill Sam about his partner's death and he has a drink with 'em! I mean, these people are drinkin' like it's a Red Quill gathering!
Every woman in the movie is all over Sam, and he's thoroughly uninterested. He says, "I don't know a damn thing about women!" However, Cairo (the guy with gardenia-smelling calling cards) complains after Sam knocks his pistol out of his hands, "That's the second time you've laid hands on me," and Sam slaps him three times and says, "When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it!"
When he goes to talk to the Fat Man (Who "likes a man who likes talking to a man") he pulls the Fat Man's thug's jacket around his arms and relieves him of his weapons. He then hands the Fat Man the guns, and says, '"Here. You shouldn't let him go around with these. I know he might get himself hurt...A crippled newsie took 'em away from him, but I made him give them back!" LOL!
Overall, a riot of a movie, intentional or not. I heartily recommend it. My favorite character was the Fat Man, who was always laughing and had a great speech pattern. It was the actor's first talkie. Next week is "A Patch Of Blue", which I haven't heard of. But I'm definitely going to go out and rent more Bogey films. And the guy who played Cairo, if I can find him. Classic stuff.
The movie was showing under the stars, and there were thousands of people there. The park is surrounded by the skyline on three sides and the lake on the fourth. It's nice, you show up early with a picnic and eat it while you watch the sun set- though in the city, you don't watch the sun set so much as you watch the skyline come out.
Half of The Maltese Falcon is funny because it's supposed to be, and the other half is funny because of the way things have changed. Sam Spade learns of his partner's death, calls his secretary, and says, "Now listen, Precious. Miles has been shot...Yeah, dead. Now don't get excited..." He's just so deadpan, so emotionally cold. He sees his partner's dead body, and when a cop asks him, "It's tough, him getting it like that, ain't it? Miles had his faults just like any of the rest of us, but I guess he must have had some good points too, huh?" Sam says, "I guess so." What an emotional outpouring!
Everybody's smoking in every scene. When Sam's not smoking, he's rolling a cigarette. In between tokes, they're all downing scotch. Two cops come over to grill Sam about his partner's death and he has a drink with 'em! I mean, these people are drinkin' like it's a Red Quill gathering!
Every woman in the movie is all over Sam, and he's thoroughly uninterested. He says, "I don't know a damn thing about women!" However, Cairo (the guy with gardenia-smelling calling cards) complains after Sam knocks his pistol out of his hands, "That's the second time you've laid hands on me," and Sam slaps him three times and says, "When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it!"
When he goes to talk to the Fat Man (Who "likes a man who likes talking to a man") he pulls the Fat Man's thug's jacket around his arms and relieves him of his weapons. He then hands the Fat Man the guns, and says, '"Here. You shouldn't let him go around with these. I know he might get himself hurt...A crippled newsie took 'em away from him, but I made him give them back!" LOL!
Overall, a riot of a movie, intentional or not. I heartily recommend it. My favorite character was the Fat Man, who was always laughing and had a great speech pattern. It was the actor's first talkie. Next week is "A Patch Of Blue", which I haven't heard of. But I'm definitely going to go out and rent more Bogey films. And the guy who played Cairo, if I can find him. Classic stuff.
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