Threaded Order Chronological Order
| Watched "The Holly and the Ivy" on TCM - really good Xmas film obviously based on a play | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 05:41 pm EST 12/21/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 05:37 pm EST 12/21/22 | |
|
|
|
| With terrific performances by Ralph Richardson, Margaret Leighton, a young Denholm Elliott and Celia Johnson and the rest of the cast, this family holiday get-together with a recently widowed vicar father who is very involved with his parish, but rather out of touch with his children's lives, was not known to me but recommended by a friend. I really enjoyed it -- it seemed realistic, and it must have been quite something back in 1952 when some of the secrets of the family are revealed in the film. It doesn't appear to have been done on Broadway though, but the two marvelous older ladies who played the aunts were in the London production. The acting in this was quite wonderful. | |
| reply to this message |
| re: Watched "The Holly and the Ivy" on TCM - really good Xmas film obviously based on a play | |
| Posted by: Delvino 09:53 am EST 12/22/22 | |
| In reply to: Watched "The Holly and the Ivy" on TCM - really good Xmas film obviously based on a play - PlayWiz 05:37 pm EST 12/21/22 | |
|
|
|
| I watched as well for the first time. Framed as a British holiday curiosity. Yet some curiosity: with Richardson, Denholm Elliot, Margaret Leighton and the great Celia Johnson, simply wonderful. Talky, yes, its theatrical roots obvious, but surprisingly unsentimental at startling turns in the story, characters becoming vinegary as mendacity is revealed; unafraid to cut through the usual trove of Yule storytelling cliches, it seems a model of restraint. | |
| reply to this message |
| The Roundabout did it in 1982 | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 05:49 pm EST 12/21/22 | |
| In reply to: Watched "The Holly and the Ivy" on TCM - really good Xmas film obviously based on a play - PlayWiz 05:37 pm EST 12/21/22 | |
|
|
|
| They somehow managed to get Lindsay Anderson to direct it in their original space under the supermarket on West 26th Street. Anderson directed for them at least one other time, but in the main theatre, not the tiny original rather ramshackle space. But he might have felt that space would be better for the play. Linking John Beaufort's favorable Christian Science Monitor review. Will link Frank Rich's negative review in the next post. |
|
| Link | The Holly and the Ivy 1982 |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: The Roundabout did it in 1982 | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 11:44 pm EST 12/21/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 11:40 pm EST 12/21/22 | |
| In reply to: The Roundabout did it in 1982 - AlanScott 05:49 pm EST 12/21/22 | |
|
|
|
| Thanks, Alan! I wouldn't call this film a comedy, other than that it ends SPOILER ALERT: on a hopeful note and ok, happily. SPOILER ENDING One of the aunts is quite funny in her sternness and bombast at times. But the film is rather compact at about 80 minutes, and it builds, and yes, it gives all the characters, including those a bit less germane to the main characters some moments of their own. The film builds so that during the film's final 20 minutes or so things do come to a head rather quickly and revelations spill out. I found it fascinating, and frankly, watched the last 20 minutes of it again today, having recorded it yesterday as I watched it. It looks like the play's cast didn't make much of a positive impact on Frank Rich, who wrote well and had very specific kinds of things he liked. He could also meticulously and savagely tear things apart. The other critic seemed to enjoy that production. But the cast of the film, including a quite beautiful Margaret Leighton, who I really hadn't seen much of her film work, really registered strongly and positively with me. My Canadian friend recommended it to me, as he mentioned it was shown quite frequently over the years in Canada, but I understand it's been pretty rarely shown here in this country. I thought it was a well-acted family drama at Christmas which seemed realistic and brought out the kinds of things that real families experience at such a gathering. Not to say that I don't love many of the usual holiday fantasy, musical and comedy stalwarts, but this was a good family drama set during the holidays dealing with how the religious profession of the father had actually been a block to real communications with his children and what happens when real conversations finally happen within this family. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: The Roundabout did it in 1982 | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 12:12 am EST 12/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Roundabout did it in 1982 - PlayWiz 11:40 pm EST 12/21/22 | |
|
|
|
| I like the film. I think this is the third year (at least) that TCM has showed it among its Christmas-themed films. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| THE HOLLY AND THE IVY film | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 11:48 pm EST 12/22/22 | |
| In reply to: re: The Roundabout did it in 1982 - AlanScott 12:12 am EST 12/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| I saw the film decades ago on some cable TV station, possibly American Movie Classics when it was hosted by Bob Dorian. I taped it on VHS and watched it with my parents for years at Christmas time. The entire cast is perfect. I finally was able to preserve The Holly and the Ivy for good on my DVR when TCM began showing it a few years ago along with the '48 version of The Winslow Boy. That film also features a fine performance by Margaret Leighton. Another holiday semi-classic that TCM has unearthed is the '45 film The Cheaters, which had been out of circulation for many years. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: THE CHEATERS film | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 12:00 am EST 12/23/22 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 11:58 pm EST 12/22/22 | |
| In reply to: THE HOLLY AND THE IVY film - BroadwayTonyJ 11:48 pm EST 12/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| I was just thinking of "The Cheaters" today, which I saw on TCM a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. Its cast, led by Joseph Schildkraut, Eugene Pallette, Billie Burke and Ona Munson (Belle Watling from "Gone With the Wind") is wonderful, and the film has quite a few fun twists. I'd like to see it again and hope that they show it this year. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: THE CHEATERS film | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 09:41 am EST 12/23/22 | |
| In reply to: re: THE CHEATERS film - PlayWiz 11:58 pm EST 12/22/22 | |
|
|
|
| I saved The Cheaters on my DVR so I can watch it every holiday season. BTW, Raymond Walburn, who plays Willie Crawford, had a long career on Broadway, including the role of Erronius in the original A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Anne Gillis and David Holt, who play Angela and Reggie Pidgeon, were both featured in Selznick's '38 classic piece of Americana, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as Becky Thatcher and Sid Sawyer. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| Rich's negative review | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 05:49 pm EST 12/21/22 | |
| In reply to: The Roundabout did it in 1982 - AlanScott 05:49 pm EST 12/21/22 | |
|
|
|
| Linked. | |
| Link | The Holly and the Ivy 1982 - Frank Rich |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
Time to render: 0.047509 seconds.