Comments on: Quote of the day: Wonder Kid? http://dcairns.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/quote-of-the-day-wonder-kid/ David Cairns' wilfully eccentric film blog Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:54:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: dcairns http://dcairns.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/quote-of-the-day-wonder-kid/#comment-788 dcairns Wed, 30 Jan 2008 23:18:10 +0000 http://dcairns.wordpress.com/?p=221#comment-788 Both his Bat movies are terrific. I saw The Monster with Lon Chaney, which wasn't that hot. Would love to see more. The Bat and The Bat Whispers were of course central influences on the Batman comcs and, going by the crane shots on model skyscrapers, on Tim Burton's Batman. Comic fans would enjoy a double bill of TBW with The Man Who Laughs, which inspired the Joker. Both his Bat movies are terrific. I saw The Monster with Lon Chaney, which wasn’t that hot. Would love to see more.
The Bat and The Bat Whispers were of course central influences on the Batman comcs and, going by the crane shots on model skyscrapers, on Tim Burton’s Batman.
Comic fans would enjoy a double bill of TBW with The Man Who Laughs, which inspired the Joker.

]]> By: David Ehrenstein http://dcairns.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/quote-of-the-day-wonder-kid/#comment-785 David Ehrenstein Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:14:05 +0000 http://dcairns.wordpress.com/?p=221#comment-785 Her death might well have been "accidentally on purpose." West's career collapsed not long afterwards. Her death might well have been “accidentally on purpose.” West’s career collapsed not long afterwards.

]]> By: dcairns http://dcairns.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/quote-of-the-day-wonder-kid/#comment-784 dcairns Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:28:39 +0000 http://dcairns.wordpress.com/?p=221#comment-784 There was also some weird story that she had accidentally bitten him during drunken oral sex in the car, and he'd stormed off, shutting her in the garage by mistake. Which is sensational AND unlikely as hell, therefore ideally suiting it to Kenneth Anger, but I think he inexplicably opted for the gangster version. There was also some weird story that she had accidentally bitten him during drunken oral sex in the car, and he’d stormed off, shutting her in the garage by mistake. Which is sensational AND unlikely as hell, therefore ideally suiting it to Kenneth Anger, but I think he inexplicably opted for the gangster version.

]]> By: David Ehrenstein http://dcairns.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/quote-of-the-day-wonder-kid/#comment-782 David Ehrenstein Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:19:27 +0000 http://dcairns.wordpress.com/?p=221#comment-782 <i>The Bat Whispers</i> is amazing in its 70mm version. I don't think West and Todd were married. It's thought by many that he did her in. The Bat Whispers is amazing in its 70mm version.

I don’t think West and Todd were married. It’s thought by many that he did her in.

]]> By: dcairns http://dcairns.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/quote-of-the-day-wonder-kid/#comment-773 dcairns Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:40:26 +0000 http://dcairns.wordpress.com/?p=221#comment-773 I don't know much about Thelma's death but it always seemed a likely suicide -- I certainly don't see her as a mob hit. Isn't the whole idea of mob hits that they should look distinctively LIKE mob hits, to discourage the others? But her hubby Roland West might have done her in, I guess. His film The Bat Whispers establishes him as a master of the staged crime scene. I don’t know much about Thelma’s death but it always seemed a likely suicide — I certainly don’t see her as a mob hit. Isn’t the whole idea of mob hits that they should look distinctively LIKE mob hits, to discourage the others? But her hubby Roland West might have done her in, I guess. His film The Bat Whispers establishes him as a master of the staged crime scene.

]]> By: David Ehrenstein http://dcairns.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/quote-of-the-day-wonder-kid/#comment-771 David Ehrenstein Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:38:37 +0000 http://dcairns.wordpress.com/?p=221#comment-771 Thalberg was indeed the emptiest of empty suits. So much sentimentality about this shark -- from F. Scott Fitzgerald on down. The murder of William Desmond Taylor remains one of the most fascinating of Hollywood deaths -- right alongside Thomas Ince and Thelma Todd. Reportedly Vidor had some interesting ideas but he was nowhere near to "solving" it. Thalberg was indeed the emptiest of empty suits. So much sentimentality about this shark — from F. Scott Fitzgerald on down.

The murder of William Desmond Taylor remains one of the most fascinating of Hollywood deaths — right alongside Thomas Ince and Thelma Todd. Reportedly Vidor had some interesting ideas but he was nowhere near to “solving” it.

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