Every so often here at Cinema Styles I put up a photo I've scanned from a movie that is unavailable on DVD. The photos come from any one of my many movie books. In most cases, it's a movie I want to see because I like the actors and have heard good things about the movie, I love the still, or both.
And then sometimes, I just want to know the freakin' context. Such is the case with today's photo, from the 1945 movie Out of this World with Eddie Bracken, Diana Lynn and Veronica Lake, a movie I've never seen. Here's the plot summary from IMDB: After struggling to become a success, Betty Miller and her all-girl orchestra finally hit pay dirt when crooner Herbie Fenton comes on board. Problems arise when Betty and her girls try to find backers to invest in Herbie and they sell 125 percent of him.
Eddie Bracken plays Herbie Fenton, Diana Lynn plays Betty Miller and Veronica Lake plays the wonderfully named Dorothy Dodge. Okay. But what the hell happens in the story that eventually leads to Bracken sitting on a block of ice in a shower stall with his shirt off?!? If anyone has seen this movie please fill me in! It's one of the most bizarre stills I've ever seen. And that facial expression!
Oh yeah, and if you haven't seen it, by all means, make something up. That pic's got too much potential entertainment value not to.
51 comments:
I think what happens is that one of Fenton's buyers is a sadist. And the ice-block shirtless shower is only the beginning of a harrowing night of torture.
I haven't seen it, but I'm going to make a serious guess and say that they are trying to give him a chill to render him incapable of singing. That might be the only way they can get off the hook with their investors.
Eddie Bracken - the original Vanilla Ice.
And the ice-block shirtless shower is only the beginning of a harrowing night of torture.
Do you think Veronica Lake conducts the torture? Maybe later they put Bracken through one of those Man Called Horse rituals and tear off his nipples.
Marilyn, I'm not familiar with this method but perhaps you are right. I wonder if he's in on it. If he is then can't he just screw up his voice on purpose? And if he's not in on it how do they get him to sit on the block of ice? At gunpoint?
Stupid book I scanned it from says absolutely nothing, Nothing, as to the context of the scene. Like I'm just supposed to look at it and say, "Oh yeah, of course, ice block on the ass. I totally get it."
Peter - Ice, Ice, Bracken, Ice!
Looks like I was right. From TCM:
"In an effort to make enough money for their hotel bill, Betty inadvertently oversells stock in Herbie, which is illegal. As Herbie becomes more popular, mostly because Dorothy is paying young girls to swoon in the audience, none of the stockholders will agree to sell. Although Herbie is making considerable profits as the nation's number one crooner, Betty is unable to turn over his money until she straightens out her problem with the stockholders. Herbie's main objective is to earn $100,000 so that Betty will marry him. Betty finally decides to weaken Herbie's popularity by having him become afflicted with laryngitis before a big benefit performance."
The set-up seems kind of nonsensical, but there it is.
Wow. Marilyn actually guessed right. Well, that game's over, I guess.
So, what do you guys want to talk about now?
Forms of torture in the movies?
How about the tooth drilling in Marathon Man. I was talking with my dentist about evil dentist movies on Saturday during a check-up.
Thanks Marilyn. But now it's over. So, basically, if your ass gets really cold, you can't sing. I'm gonna remember that, it might come in handy one day.
"Jonathan, I really need to get out of this singing gig. What should I do?"
"Here's some ice. Stick it up your ass."
"Uh... okay... you're the boss I guess."
I once did a play where I had to drill a guy's teeth in a torture scene. When we were doing the readthrough at the beginning of rehearsals we all said, "Ah, an homage to Marathon Man" to which the playwright said, "What? What do you mean?" Then we all told him about the scene in the movie, which he had never seen. I of course did my usual lousy job of concealing my shock and contempt as my eyes popped out of my head and I said, "Even if you haven't seen it, do you mean to tell me you've never even heard of the famous drilling scene?"
He said he hadn't and I swear, after that, none of us had any respect for him. He never went anywhere as a playwright after that, which we all could have told you.
I'm going to write a play -- totally original -- that features a scene on a spaceship with a bunch of people sitting down to eat, and then an alien pops out of one of their chests. The play will be called "Star Beast".
Well, that does sound original. I can't think of any... HEY, wait a minute! That's from Driving Miss Daisy!
Maybe the ice is the other 25% of him that they sell.
At first I was hoping this was one of your trick posts where you'd photoshopped a picture of yourself.
I'm writing a play that has as its centerpiece a scene in which two men sit at a table, one attempting to read the other one's mind and the other attempting to block it, which goes on until the mind reader's head explodes.
I call it Mind Readers! The exclamation point is very important.
Mystery photo: He did a tag team gig with Rock Hudson and Jim Nabors and now he's trying to cool the burn...?
At first I was hoping this was one of your trick posts where you'd photoshopped a picture of yourself.
I did! That's my ass, not Brackens!
I know only one person who's ever made a Jim Nabors joke and his name ain't Anonymous. But he does hate Danny Kaye.
I'm sure there's a Gomer says "Surprise, surprise, surprise!" joke in there somewhere but I can't find it right now.
Even though that "Anon" joke was "gay", I promise it wasn't me... I bet Marilyn was trying to set me up.
Rock didn't have many friends, but he had Nabors up the ass.
I'm still amazed to this day that a television writer for Andy Griffith decided to invent a character named "Gomer Pyle." That name's just amazing to me.
So, uh, Anon... why the Anon thing. I mean, we all know each other and given some of the things that Fox and Arbo have said here in the past, I don't think anyone would hold it against you. You know I know who this is right? Here, I'll pop over to your place and see what's up.
I remember being really confused about the Gomer Pyle show as a kid. I think it was my first exposure to what the Marine Corp was... and I didn't understand.
They played reruns of it in between reruns of The Monkees and Eight is Enough. Ahh... childhood was awesome.
I always hated when Nabors sung. Man, I couldn't stand that look on his face when he started belted out stuff in that faux opera style that went out of fashion in the twenties. But Sergeant Carter made me laugh.
Who's Anonymous!? WHO IS IT!?
THAT would be telling!
It's probably George Romero.
You ought to tune in to here Illinois soon-to-be former governor sing(around 11 a.m. CST). This is fascinating stuff:
It's probably George Romero.
That fuckin' guy.
Illinois soon-to-be former governor
You mean Mr. Deeds?
THAT would be telling!
Or... outing?
But I shan't say a word. No, no, I'll never reveal that it is Katie Couric who has... oh crap. Sorry Katie.
Mr. Misdeeds is more like it.
This is more riveting for me than the entire Obama campaign and inauguration. This is one important corner Illinois politics thrown open. The worm-ridden body is grotesquely fascinating.
Marilyn is really loving watching this Blago guy fry. I'd love to see a Marilyn interview exclusive with him as she eviscerates him from start to finish.
Here's my favorite of the headlines on the sidebar of the site Marilyn linked: Blago Blunders in Umpteenth TV Interview.
Jonathan-
You should scrap The Mind Readers idea and write Ferdinand/Blagojevich instead.
Ferdinand/Blagojevich a film by Bryce Dallas Howard.
Ha! That would be fun.
My buddy from the Beachwood Reporter, Steve Rhodes, is live blogging it: http://www.nbcchicago.com/station/as_seen_on/Blogging-The-Blago-Show-Live.html
Back in session. The governor will be in momentarily. Being escorted into chambers.
When he speaks at the trial (when will that be, by the way?) you should prepare yourself for what I'm sure will be one of the most moving speeches in the history of American politics. He loves Frank Capra, you know!
I would watch the shit out of Ferdinand/Blagojevich, incidentally.
I'd prefer to see him give a Randian Fountainhead type speech where he claims to have created the Governorship and thus is empowered to destroy it.
BTW.. Did anyone else see the SNL spoof of a Frost/Nixon sequel called Frost/Other People?
Well they had a hilarious jab at Peter Travers in it:
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone says, "I like anything, so this counts!".
I did see that. The Travers joke was funny, and I also liked the actual Frost/Nixon section, where Nixon says, "I'm saying that if the president does it, it's not illegal!" Frost then says, "You are aware that we're recording, aren't you?" and Nixon says, "Huh? Wha?"
I'm a sucker for "Huh? Wha?" jokes.
The first time you see Bowie, "Now let me just stop you..." made me laugh out loud.
Wow, this is so exciting. Watching Blago avoid going under oath to answer questions during the trial, returning only to give a campaign speech to soften jurors for his criminal trial. Ellis coming back with how little Blago said about the people of Illinois - it was all about him.
I really feel like I'm seeing a rare moment that may never come again. If only it were Daley...
I'm still amazed to this day that a television writer for Andy Griffith decided to invent a character named "Gomer Pyle." That name's just amazing to me.
AND, his brother was Goober!
Maybe Goober should take over as Governor of Illinois now that Blago has been unceremoniously booted out. I trust George Lindsay implicitly.
BTW, you know what was fascinating about the show Gomer Pyle? He served in the Marines from 64 to 69 and never got one tour of duty in Nam. Man, that's incredible!
Shazam! Shazam! Shazam!
BTW, you know what was fascinating about the show Gomer Pyle? He served in the Marines from 64 to 69 and never got one tour of duty in Nam. Man, that's incredible!
Would YOU send that guy into battle?
I don't think any of Sergeant Carter's Marines went to Nam. Apparently, moving to Canada was a mistake. All you had to do was join Carter's division at the Corps and you were safe.
Don't ask, don't tell!
That photo is REALLY starting to creep me out...
Have no fear Anon, a clip will be replacing it shortly.
Funny, Eddie Bracken was just involved in a rather obscure quiz which I ran on my blog. Not sure if you check out comments from this far back, but the quiz was here:
http://thedancingimage.blogspot.com/2009/01/whats-connection-first-e-peanut-butter.html
with the answer here:
http://thedancingimage.blogspot.com/2009/02/connection.html
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