Above:
Montgomery Clift
Check out more Hitchcock Hunks Below:
Thursday, October 13, 2022
Farley's Face:
I Confess
A priest, who comes under suspicion for murder, cannot clear his name without breaking the seal of the confessional.
I confess, I never really saw actor Montgomery Clift in anything until this month. I knew his name, I think I knew he was a screen actor and idol, but beyond that, I was in the dark. In part of it's creepy cinema series, TCM recently aired the 1953 Alfred Hitchcock directed I Confess.
I was initially a little bored of the thriller, but quickly got sucked into the drama. I enjoyed Anne Baxter, I loved seeing scenes in old Québec City, and loved looking into the incredibly handsome face of Father Michael Logan. (Clift)
Father Michael remains in his collar and robe throughout the film, but Clift still manages to grab your attention, exuding intense sexual energy through his face and eyes. Can't wait to see him in more films. I think Clift might just be at the top of my list of Hitchcockian hunks.
Paul Newman in Tom Curtain
Although I like to think of myself of somewhat of a film buff, there are many classics that I haven't seen. I especially however, finding films with stars I love that I didn't even know existed. I love Alfred Hitchcock films, but I've really only seen a small number of them. I re-watch Rear Window whenever it's on and have seen Psycho and The Birds several times.
I've seen others, but most only once. I was pleasantly surprised then, to discover several new Hitchcock films during TCM's recent marathon. I'd never heard of Torn Curtain, and certainly wasn't aware that Paul Newman and Julie Andrews appeared together in a Hitchcock film. For some reason this flick doesn't seem to get the repeat airings some many of the other famous director's films get.
'Just give me five minutes with her. After all, she is my girl'
Professor Michael Armstrong
What was most surprising about Torn Curtain was how Hitchcock tapped into his leading man's good looks. We're used to him focusing on the beautiful blondes he casts, but Torn Curtain contains three shirtless scenes with Newman, including even a hint of nudity behind a shower curtain. Torn Curtain certainly isn't one of the director's best, but it more than held my attention with it's tense storytelling and quick pace.
Rod Tayler: Bite Me!
Rod Taylor
as Mitch Brenner
The Birds (1963)
I think if actor Rod Taylor was hitting Hollywood today he'd be viewed in the vein of Chris Hemsworth or Chris Evans. Incredibly good looking, talented and likable. Taylor also has that strong, thick chest that I so associate with classic movie idols from the 50's and 60's. I did a previous piece featuring images or Rod after a viewing of The Birds HERE:.
Like everyone else in the film, Rod Taylor’s character—Mitch Brenner—had to withstand a barrage of avian attacks. One particular bird really had it in for Taylor. There was a captive raven named Archie who seemingly went out of his way to attack the actor, even when the cameras weren’t rolling. “Every morning, if we were on the set together, he’d come over and … bite me,"
Taylor revealed in Universal’s DVD documentary All About the Birds. "I hated him and he hated me.” It got to the point where Taylor started making inquiries about Archie’s whereabouts as part of his daily, on-set ritual. “I’d walk in and say, ‘Is Archie working today?’ And they’d say, ‘Uh, I don’t think so Rod. I think we’re working with seagulls.’ And out of the rafters would come Archie. [He] hated me and would lie in wait for me.”
Fascinating Facts
Young Cassidy (1965)
World Without End (1956)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)