Afbeelding van de auteur.

Richard Schickel (1933–2017)

Auteur van The World of Goya, 1746-1828

83+ Werken 2,157 Leden 29 Besprekingen

Over de Auteur

Richard Warren Schickel was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on February 10, 1933. He received a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1955. He became a noted film critic, Hollywood historian, and prolific author and documentarian. He reviewed films for toon meer Life magazine from 1965 until it closed in 1972, then wrote for Time until 2010 and later for the blog Truthdig.com. He wrote 37 books on movies and filmmakers and wrote or directed more than 30 documentaries including The Men Who Made the Movies. He wrote biographies of Woody Allen, Marlon Brando, James Cagney, Charlie Chaplin, Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood, Lena Horne, and Elia Kazan. He also wrote a memoir entitled Good Morning, Mr. Zip Zip Zip: Movies, Memory, and World War II. He died from complications of dementia on February 19, 2017 at the age of 84. (Bowker Author Biography) toon minder

Werken van Richard Schickel

The World of Goya, 1746-1828 (1968) 402 exemplaren
Clint Eastwood: A Biography (1996) 119 exemplaren
The Complete Thin Man Collection (2005) — Director — 112 exemplaren
Conversations with Scorsese (2011) 96 exemplaren
D.W. Griffith: An American Life (1984) 87 exemplaren
Elia Kazan: A Biography (2005) 78 exemplaren
Clint: A Retrospective (2012) 75 exemplaren
Cary Grant: A Celebration (1983) 63 exemplaren
The Men Who Made the Movies (1975) 44 exemplaren
Bette Davis: Larger than Life (2000) 44 exemplaren
Steven Spielberg: A Retrospective (2012) 44 exemplaren
The stars (1962) 44 exemplaren
Brando: A Life in Our Times (1991) 32 exemplaren
Woody Allen: A Life in Film (2003) 29 exemplaren
Striking Poses (1987) 29 exemplaren
James Cagney: A Celebration (1985) 23 exemplaren
The Fairbanks Album (1975) 20 exemplaren
Gary Cooper (Legends) (1985) 15 exemplaren
Alfred Hitchcock: A Life In Film (2013) 13 exemplaren
Humphrey Bogart: A Life In Film (2011) 9 exemplaren
The Story of Great Music: The Opulent Era (1966) — Auteur — 9 exemplaren
The Harryhausen Chronicles (2002) 8 exemplaren
The World of Tennis (1975) 7 exemplaren
Singled Out (1981) 7 exemplaren
The Actors (2016) 6 exemplaren
The Museum (1970) 6 exemplaren
Charlie Chaplin: A Life In Film (2012) 6 exemplaren
From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga [VHS] (1990) — Auteur — 5 exemplaren
The world of Carnegie Hall (1960) 5 exemplaren
Shooting War - World War II Combat Cameramen (2004) — Director — 4 exemplaren
The Gentle Knight 3 exemplaren
Ronald Reagan, A Life In Film (2012) 3 exemplaren
Walt Disney (1968) 3 exemplaren
Marlon Brando (Spanish Edition) (1992) 2 exemplaren
A life in Film 1 exemplaar
LIFE Goes to the Movies [1976 TV movie] (1976) — Screenwriter — 1 exemplaar
Common Fame (1985) 1 exemplaar
The Hollywood 10 (2012) 1 exemplaar
Riprese di Guerra 1 exemplaar

Gerelateerde werken

We Americans (1975) — Medewerker — 413 exemplaren

Tagged

Algemene kennis

Gangbare naam
Schickel, Richard
Officiële naam
Schickel, Richard Warren
Geboortedatum
1933-02-10
Overlijdensdatum
2017-02-18
Geslacht
male
Nationaliteit
USA
Geboorteplaats
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Plaats van overlijden
Los Angeles, California, USA
Oorzaak van overlijden
dementia (complications)
Opleiding
University of Wisconsin (BA|1956)
Beroepen
journalist
filmmaker
film critic
film historian
Organisaties
Time Magazine
Prijzen en onderscheidingen
Guggenheim Fellowship (1964)

Leden

Besprekingen

It is impossible to tabulate how many millions of people have been entertained by these witty and sophisticated mysteries featuring a husband and wife. The huge success of The Thin Man, the original 1934 film based on Dashiell Hammett’s novel of the same name, prompted MGM to break new ground by producing an “A” picture sequel, and follow that with four more “A” pictures featuring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles.

The original film introduced the sophisticated and fun couple we all have come to love over the years. The Thin Man was set over the Christmas holiday and was the first time audiences got to enjoy the banter of Nick and Nora, as ex-detective Nick was pushed into action, martini in hand, by his better half. Nora had the money and Nick had the know-how. Clyde Wynant, portrayed by Edward Ellis, as nearly everyone knows, was actually Thee thin man. But the tag stuck to Nick Charles and the rest is, as they say, screen history. A very pretty Maureen O’Sullivan is a standout in the original film as the young Dorothy Wynant.

What delighted audiences, however, was the playful fun between Nick and Nora as they solved the mystery. When Powell and Loy returned as Nick and Nora a couple of years later, the magic that had surrounded the original was still there, and would remain so through the last entry.

AFTER THE THIN MAN was nearly as much fun as the original, as Nick and Nora, to Nora’s delight and Nick’s dismay, became involved in another mystery set immediately following their adventures in the original. All the fun was still there as was the mystery. Nora told reporters in the film: “Nick was sober in Kansas City!” Their dog Asta was back again as well, and became a household name. A young Jimmy Stewart got to star in this one also.

In ANOTHER THIN MAN Nick and Nora returned for another breezy and fun comedy/mystery done with style, class and top drawer production values from MGM at it’s zenith. This one is probably my favorite of the series.

Little Nicky Jr. is a year old and proud parents Nick and Nora are having a ball. Nick is trying to get out of going to Long Island because Colonel McFay (C. Aubrey Smith) only wants him to go over financial reports and other mundane matters that might interfere with Nick’s drinking. But there is also a threat on the Colonel’s life. Since Nora wants a quiet weekend in the country, off they go. It turns out to be anything but quiet, of course, and Nick has to solve another murder.

A sharp and clever script with snappy dialog keep this one moving along nicely. Pretty Virginia Grey is the Colonel’s daughter Lois and Ruth Hussey plays little Nicky’s nurse, Dorothy. Lois wants to marry Dudley Horn (Patrick Knowles), much to the chagrin of the Colonel and his secretery, Freddie (Tom Neal), who is also in love with the lovely Lois. It seems some of the Colonel’s business dealings have been just a little on the shady side since the death of Nora’s father, his business partner. Phil Church (Sheldon Leonard) may have been on the wrong end of one of these shady deals and with all this going on you can guess what happens next.

The interplay between Nick and Nora about their quiet little weekend is a ton of fun. A body in the road and a pool-house fire get things moving quickly in this light and breezy entry in the series. Nat Pendelton is along as Lt. Guild this time and Marjorie Main has a nice turn as a very funny landlady. Muriel Hutchison also has a nice role as Church’s girlfriend, Smitty, in a mystery a little more complicated than you might think.

This time the gathering of suspects, including Don Costello as Diamond Back Vogel, takes place at a birthday party for Nicky Jr. thrown by Nick's old pals. Shemp Howard of Three Stooges fame has a funny role as Whacky, as does Harry Bellaver as Creeps. Otto Kruger is on hand as Assistant D.A. Van Slack when Nick surprises everyone with the killer’s identity.

One of the highlights in a film with many fine moments is a scene at The West Indies Club. Nora learns a little more about Nick’s past there than he would like! This is a fun film to watch, and there is a magic here which can never be duplicated. This is five-star entertainment you don't want to miss.

SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN

The most fun and sophisticated series in the history of film continued with Maj. W.S. Van Dyke's 1941 entry, Shadow of the Thin Man. Nick and Nora become involved in yet another murder mystery, and Loy’s Nora is cuter than she’s ever been in this one. Nick is busy in the park reading a fairy tale to Nicky Jr. — which sounds suspiciously like a racing form — and it isn’t long before Nick and "Mummy" are off to the track.

A jockey has just been murdered by the time they arrive with a police escort and it appears to be tied in with a gambling syndicate. Nick does his best to avoid getting roped into real work but when another murder occurs at a wrestling match and a reporter who’s an acquaintance of theirs is fingered for the job, Nick sort of saunters into action. A third murder occurs before Nick can get it all sorted out. A gun hidden in a drain pipe, an expensive bracelet used as payment for blackmail and a ledger worth killing for all play a part in the mystery portion of this one. When Nora gets one of the clues first, a trap is set for the killer. Nora is adorable and she ends up "saving" Nick's life by the time the denouement scene rolls around.

An attractive cast of MGM players which includes a funny turn by Louise Beavers as the Charles’s maid and a very young and pretty Donna Reed as the girlfriend of the accused, make this one easy to watch. Nick gathers the suspects all together as usual, and it’s quite a surprise when he fingers the real killer.

Nick and Asta get dizzy on a carousel in this one, Asta starts a brawl in a restaurant, and there’s a turtle race just adding to the delightful murder mystery fun.

THE THIN MAN GOES HOME.

While still keeping the fun and wit of the other films, this entry does has its critics. I am not one of them. Nick goes home to Sycamore Springs and has eased up a bit on his social activities (getting tight) and Nora seems more the traditional wife in this entry. This is normal and in keeping with the story of a wife visiting her in-laws, and the facade.

This one was still a lot of fun and taking issue with such minor nuances is unfair to the film. While perhaps a tick below the others, it was still a rewarding experience. I’m sure this entry is probably the favorite of someone.

SONG OF THE THIN MAN

Manhattan meets the hip jazz scene in this one as Nick and Nora are involved in solving another delicious murder, with nice touches from Nicky Jr. and, of course, their dog Asta. It begins when Nick and Nora have a night out on the gambling ship, “S. S. Fortune.”

The film opens with a young and stunningly beautiful Gloria Grahame singing “Your Not That Easy to Forget” and only gets better. As Nick and Nora rub shoulders with the elite — and a few of Nicky’s old pals — a chain of events leads to murder. When the chief suspect drops by and asks for Nick’s help, Nick promptly turns him over to the cops for his own safety. An attempt on the young man’s life ruins a bottle Nick had been saving for a special occasion, and as he puts it, “An old friend of mine went completely to pieces.” There’s no way Nick isn’t helping the young man — if for no other reason, that ruined bottle!

There are no shortage of suspects as Nick and Nora start nosing around, aided by a young Keenan Wynn as one of the hip band members. It’s funny as Nora begins to pick up the lingo of Wynn and his jazz friends, who seem to have a language all their own. The victim seemingly had no end of enemies. He was deep in debt to a dangerous gambler, had been cheating on his girlfriend, was running out on a contract for greener pastures, had publicly humiliated Grahame’s former boyfriend Buddy Hollis (Don Taylor), and more. Before it’s over, Nick and Nora will walk in on another murder, and Nick will stage a surprise back on the waters, gathering all the suspects back on the swanky “S. S. Fortune” to trick a killer.

Patricia Morison, Jayne Meadows, Dean Stockwell, Ralph Morgan, William Bishop and Marie Windsor all offer fine support to make this closing chapter in the legendary series one of their best. Some nice family moments (Nick and Nora style) with Asta and Nicky Jr. are put in the mix as well, Nicky Jr. is seemingly a chip of the old block.

The same carefree and fun loving ambiance that was a staple of every entry is here and a good atmospheric mystery to boot. There is nothing shabby in the least about “Song of the Thin Man.” These films set a bar that many have attempted to reach when making a light comedy/mystery. If you happen to get ahold of this complete set somewhere, you even get a bonus disc, Alias Nick and Nora, which is nice to watch.
… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
Matt_Ransom | 1 andere bespreking | Nov 25, 2023 |
Författaren skriver här om sextio filmer där Clint Eastwood varit skådespelare eller regissör. Även foton från Eastwoods eget arkiv som visar honom i arbete bakom kameran förutom bilder som skildrar hans skådespelargärning.
 
Gemarkeerd
CalleFriden | 1 andere bespreking | Feb 25, 2023 |
A 90-minute documentary by film critic, author and historian Richard Schickel that is highlighted by a rare and candid interview with the writer, director and actor Woody Allen. The interview, shot exclusively for this documentary in New York in October 2001, marks the first time Allen has participated in an American documentary about his career. The program examines Allen’s work on such landmark films as “Take the Money and Run” (1969), “Bananas” (1971), “Sleeper” (1973), “Love and Death” (1975), “Annie Hall” (1977), “Manhattan” (1979), “Hannah and Her Sisters” (1986) and “Crimes and Misdemeanors” (1989). The interview and film clips, including scenes from his most recent film at the time the interview was filmed, “Hollywood Ending,” are used to highlight his prolific career and examine Allen’s childhood and explore what drew him to writing and directing. One of the foremost American filmmakers of the 20th century, Allen shares anecdotes about his extensive body of work from the past… (fonte: Imdb)… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
MemorialeSardoShoah | Mar 28, 2022 |
Contains:
Pt. 1. The golden age of Hollywood: the depression and a new optimism.--
Pt. 2. The war years: fabulous 1939, then global conflict.--
Pt. 3. The post-war era: film noir and the Hollywood Ten.--
Pt. 4. The fifties: television and a new Hollywood.--
Pt. 5. Movies today: a new morality.
 
Gemarkeerd
Lemeritus | Mar 19, 2022 |

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Statistieken

Werken
83
Ook door
2
Leden
2,157
Populariteit
#11,916
Waardering
½ 3.7
Besprekingen
29
ISBNs
166
Talen
9

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