This thread has started me thinking about my exposure to older pop culture. It seems that in most cases I got turned on to older pop culture by references to it in more recent pop culture.
As an example, I used to be in to Steve Jackson games (Car Wars, in particular). In reading through their website, I learned about fnords and slack, which led me to Ivan Stang and Robert A. Wilson. Reading Wilson’s books led me to a variety of things, including H.P. Lovecraft, The Third Man and The Maltese Falcon. Every time I watch one of these old films, I get about a dozen flashes of “so that’s what they were referring to!”
Lenny Bruce was also a big pop culture jumping point for me. For example, until Mjollnir’s post, the only Dr. Erlich’s Magic Bullet I’d ever heard of was from one of Lenny’s routines (Thank You Mask Man).
It’s all about intellectual curiosity. If they have it, they’ll broaden their own horizon quuite nicely from just a tiny push.
I’ll be bold. You could have told me he was a supreme court justice and I would have believed it. Older films are very inaccessible. I remember watching The Cain Mutiny and realizing that there were good films with good actors made before I was born. The problem is, that you can’t go to a video store and find half of the classics (at least not where I’ve gone). I’ve gotten a good taste of some good films and have yet to see some of the pivotal films of our culture because no one rents them out anymore. Also, I hate watching films alone, but no one wants to see these movies with me. I actually saw It’s a Wonderful Life for the first time just two years ago. But then I didn’t see Star Wars until 1995, and then I saw all three films in a row so I can hardly distinguish between the three (pardon my blasphemy). Perhaps I will be able to see films with this “Edward G. Robinson” of which you speak, and finally Bugs Bunny will suddenly make sense.
Dale the Bold – You don’t need a video store, you just need a cable system with American Movie Classics and/or Turner Classic Movies. (And a good movie guide, so separate the great Hollywood classics from the old Hollywood crap.)
Alas, AMC and TCM don’t appear to exist up here in Canada, so I am classic-movie deprived at the moment.
My children have gotten into movies lately and I like them to see old movies to show them what crap the recent movies are. this weekend we are going to watch casablanca on dvd. They don’t like my W.C. Fields. but they do like Chaplin.
I think that the nude swimmer wasn’t really O’Sullivan but a double. However, you can still see her nearly naked as the costume she wears is one of the mose eye-poppingly revealing for that era.
Well, for the record, I do know who Edward G Robinson was, but like some of the other posters, I know of him more from Bugs Bunny cartoons than his actual work. His only film that I remember seeing was Key Largo, and the only thing I took out of that film was “Hey, Lauren Bacall is hot.”
But I do think that the idea of forcing GenX-ers to see “classic cinema”, and all the head-shaking and clucking that’s going on in this thread, is just doody. People see and learn what they want to see, when they want to see it. I’m still surprised whenever I hear of someone around my age (30) who hasn’t yet seen Casablanca, but:
a) what’s the point of showing them the movie if they’re not predisposed to be receptive to it? What kind of reaction are you supposed to get from a mandatory screening? “Suddenly I understand how my life has been a lie. I have been culturally shallow and must burn my copy of The Matrix so that I may watch Sunset Boulevard.”
2) how does the movie really make a difference in the first place? It’s one of my favorites, and I think it’s one of (if not the) best movie ever made, but it’s hardly a life-changing experience. The first time I saw it, all I got from it was, “Wow, that was a good movie. And Ingrid Bergman was hot.”
Dang, Fib, am I glad you posted this! As I was reading this thread and thinking of the Warner Brothers E.G. Robinson characters, I was recalling some really distant memories from my earliest childhood (I was born in 1965). “Wasn’t there some low budget, non Warner Bros. cartoon series with a sinister E.G. Robinson-like frog villain?” I asked myself! I never would have remembered the names Courageous Cat, Minute Mouse or “Flat-Face” Frog. My memories of the cartoons are vague, but mostly warm and fuzzy, so it must have been good. The frog was fairly menacing, though.
Isn’t that a good enough reason for someone to see a movie?
I don’t think anyone should be forced but if they love movies than they’ll probably love the classic old ones too so why not let them know that they are out there to be seen?
Of course, you were joking. That was Richard Chamberlain.
I think sublight hit it
This is true with my kids, 15,12,8. We are fortunate enough to have a public library system which has so many videos you couldn’t watch 'em all in your life.
So I try to blend in the classics that I grew up with in the 50’s. They don’t always appreciate them as I do/did, but at least they get exposed. You can’t do more than that.
Actually, my favorite Heston role remains his cameo in Wayne’s World II – none of this overacted “I’m being DRAMATIC!” garbage, just a brief, quiet, heartwarming performance.
I can’t remember whether I’ve ever seen a Robinson film all the way through, but at least I’ve seen a slew of Bogie films…
Food for thought: Lots of people I know over 35 or so take pride in their ignorance of current pop culture, claiming it’s crap compared to the “good ol’ days.” (You know, “those damn kids and their baggy pants,” etc.) I’d say being ignorant of contemporary culture is just as bad as ignorance of the past.
[rhetorical question]
How many people lamenting EGR’s descent into obscurity would recognize many of today’s musical stars’ songs or hold your own on discussions of what’s hot today?
[/rhetorical question]
FWIW I’m under 25, and have seen a couple EGR movies.
I’ve been watching classic movies almost religiously since I was twelve. Yet I bet I could hold my own in any discussion re: this week’s hot musical group or whatever starlet E! New Daily is currently enamored with. I don’t watch The Weakest Link but I do know what it is. In fact, I can name almost every cast member that’s ever been on the Real World (I’m a little fuzzy on the London cast and must distance myself completely from this season’s bunch of whiny morons). And I’ll bet that I’m more the rule than the exception. The human brain is very roomy.
So the other day I’m saying to my co-workers “I have this Dashiell Hammett book in my car and…”
Not one of them had ever heard of Hammett. 'Course I probably didn’t help by saying “you know, Sam Spade?..Dashiell Hammett, longtime lover of Lillian Hellman. You’ve heard of the Children’s Hour? OK, you’ve heard of Humphrey Bogart?”
They all think the “badges” line comes from Blazing Saddles.
I told a co-worker about the incident, and he said that one time he was working at Sam Goody’s and he heard a woman say, “I found out that Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings.”
Edward G. Robinson was one of the best of the “gangster” era actors. I really like his performances in the movies from the 1930’s-40’s. In particular, check out “THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW” (directed by Fritz lang). This almost-forgotten flick is one of Robinson’s finest movies-I think you will enjoy it!
Robinson was a geniunely talented actor, who portrayed his characters in a very sensitive way.I’d rate him with Spencer tracy, or Humphrey Bogart; sadly, he never got the credit he was due. And, from all accounts, he was a very good human being!
Food for thought: you’ll be saying the same things those people are saying when you’re over 35. Right now, you’re thinking something like “No way!” But you will. I guarantee it.
