The General (1927)

• actor / director Buster Keaton's visually-stunning, silent action-comedy classic masterpiece set during the Civil War has been considered to be Buster Keaton's greatest film, and also widely recognized as one of the true masterpieces of American cinema; it is undoubtedly one of the greatest comedies ever made, with non-stop physical comedy and sight gags, shot almost entirely aboard moving trains; filmed against a backdrop of magnificently photographed Civil War battle scenes, it also contained one of the great chase sequences in movie history; the acrobatic stuntwork, Keaton's deadpan expressions, location photography and sight gags remain remarkable to the present day
• in one of the earliest scenes, Southern Confederate locomotive engineer Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton) worked and lived in the city of Marietta, GA; Confederate engineer Johnnie had two loves in his life - his Southern belle sweetheart Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack) and his beloved locomotive named The General, part of the Western and Atlantic railroad (W & A R R)
• when the Civil War (War Between the States) broke out in the spring of 1861 with the firing on Ft. Sumter (SC), Johnnie was visiting at the home of his lady-love fiancee Annabelle; her father (Charles Smith) and brother (Frank Barnes) both left to enlist, and Annabelle asked Johnnie: "Aren't you going to enlist?"; Johnnie rushed to the recruiting office to sign up to fight on the side of the South; he failed to hear why he was denied: ("Don't enlist him. He is more valuable to the South as an engineer") - and he was utterly disappointed when told: "We can't use you"; he couldn't understand the reason for his rejection (was it his short stature or lack of strength?), and made two further attempts to get in line and enlist, but was thrown out; he denounced the recruitment officer: "If you lose this war, don't blame me"
• back at Annabelle's house, when she asked her family members about Johnnie's enlistment, they told her: "He didn't even get in line. He's a disgrace to the South"; when she asked Johnnie the same question ("Why didn't you enlist?"), he sheepishly answered: "They wouldn't take me"; she thought he was lying or that he was being an unpatriotic coward; ashamed of him, she snubbed him: "Please don't lie - I don't want you to speak to me again until you are in uniform"; dejected, he sat back down on the engine's drive-shaft as it alternately moved up and down and entered the engine-house enclosure (train-shed) - a perfect image for the complex emotional feelings he was experiencing

Johnnie's Enlistment Failure into the Confederate Army

Snubbed by Sweetheart Annabelle

The Dejected Johnnie on the Train's Moving Up-and-Down Side-Rail

• about a year later in Chattanooga, TN, Gen. Thatcher (Jim Farley) devised a plan to steal a Southern train and use it to burn bridges and cut off supply lines as it traveled northward; Northern-Union spies led by Captain Anderson (Glen Cavender) were to carry out the plan; the spies stole Johnnie's The General behind Southern lines at Big Shanty (the first station north of Marietta, GA) during a dinner stop - but they also inadvertently kidnapped Annabelle who was traveling northward to see her wounded father; she was in the baggage car of a train at the time retrieving something from her trunk, and they were forced to tie her up and gag her
• the spies then proceeded with the train (unhooked from all the passenger cars) from Georgia into Tennessee and toward the North; the intrepid Confederate Johnnie heroically risked his life to rescue both; he at first tried to chase after the train on foot, but had to give up; then he used various other means to acquire his beloved train, while maintaining deadpan expressions on his face; in perfectly timed and staged pursuit scenes - Johnnie also chased after his train on a pump hand-car (before he struck sabotaged rail-track and the hand-car tumbled down an embankment into a river), and briefly rode on a Velocipede (boneshaker) bicycle he stole from a house near the town of Kingston; the spies prevented communications by cutting telegraph lines along their route

Johnnie's Pursuit of Stolen Southern Train into the North (Held by Union Forces)
On Foot	On a Pump Hand-Car	On a Bicycle

• in Kingston itself, Johnnie alerted the Confederate Army forces at the station, and then masterfully hijacked another locomotive, The Texas, to pursue both his train and his adored but estranged girlfriend Annabelle; after entering Union territory, he realized that he had disattached the troops assembled onto a flatcar behind him, and he was all alone - single-handedly taking on the entire Union army in order to rescue both of his loves
• each half of the film was predominantly composed of two spectacular, ground-breaking train chase sequences over the same territory; each scene in the chase of the first half had a counterpart in the film's second half; there was incredible acrobatic stuntwork as Southern locomotive engineer Johnnie Gray pursued his own hijacked train engine
• as the Yankees stopped for wood-fuel and water, Johnnie noticed a mortar car (with a stumpy, snub-nosed, unwieldly howitzer cannon) on a siding and attached it to the back of his train; he ineptly attempted to load powder and cannon-balls into the barrel of the cannon to fire - but mostly endangered his own life, especially when he accidentally disattached the mortar car (with a loaded cannon and lighted fuse) and the barrel was pointed directly at him in the engine cab; ; he lucked out when a curve in the tracks directed the barrel to target the train carrying the fleeing Union spies ahead of him
• the Union forces also attempted to hinder him during the chase by releasing their rear box-car and by dropping railroad ties onto the tracks to block Johnnie's pursuit; while he wasn't looking, the box-car was derailed by one of the timbers, and he was able to cleverly, adroitly and nimbly able to ride on his train's front cowcatcher as he flipped away a RR cross-tie strewn across the tracks; he was also briefly delayed when sidetracked onto a parallel dead-end spur track, and when he was confronted with a burning and smoking rear box-car left in his path inside a covered bridge

On a Howitzer Cannon Car and on His Own Train's Cowcatcher

• once he was deep into Union territory, the Confederate army near Chattanooga was ordered to retreat in the opposite direction, but Johnnie didn't notice while chopping wood atop his fuel-tender to feed his engine; at the same time, Captain Parker's victorious Northern Army was advancing; Johnnie fled from his train after he heard head spy Captain Anderson's startled discovery atop a trestle bridge with a good view into Johnnie's cab that they were only fighting a one man army: ("There is only one man on that engine!"); Johnnie abandoned the Texas and fled into a deeply wooded forest during a heavy nighttime rainfall ("In the enemy's country - hopelessly lost, helplessly cold and horribly hungry")
• while attempting to steal food inside a house, he was forced to hide under a table when the Union Army officers entered to use it as their HQs; he listened as the Union Generals discussed their plans for the campaign's launch of a surprise attack the following day: "At nine o'clock tomorrow morning our supply trains will meet and unite with General Parker's army at the Rock River bridge. Then the army, backed by our supply trains, will advance for a surprise attack on the rebels' left flank. Once our trains and troops cross that bridge, nothing on earth can stop us"
• through a cigar hole burnt into the side of the tablecloth, Johnnie viewed Annabelle as she was brought in as a prisoner; Johnnie's new objective was clear - he must somehow disable the Rock River Bridge - an important Union supply line resource, and he must also re-kidnap Annabelle and reacquire his train and take both back to the Confederate South; later that night, he was able to recapture Annabelle while she was under-guard in an adjacent locked room; he knocked out two sentries, stole one man's wet uniform, and escaped with her into the woods for the night (after encounters with a lightning strike, a live bear and a bear trap); all night long, he bravely hugged and protected her in the same position
• the next day at daybreak, Johnnie discovered a burlap bag full of shoes, emptied it, and used it to disguise Annabelle inside; for a short while, he lost one of his own shoes in the large pile; at the nearby railroad station where the imminent Union attack was being planned, Johnnie joined in a line of soldiers loading The General, and was able to discreetly unhook all the box-cars except the one immediately behind the fuel tender (wood-car) (where the disguised Annabelle was deposited); he worried that Annabelle would be covered by other freight or knocked out; he entered the cab, knocked out the conductor with a long firewood beam, started up the engine, and escaped; they began the long journey back to the South to warn the Confederacy, with the Yankees in quick pursuit; he was followed by two Union trains, including The Texas
• on his way just outside of town, Johnnie used a rope to pull down a telegraph pole and its connected wires to disrupt communications; he then axed his way into the front of the box-car to free Annabelle from the burlap bag; the return trip was a complete reversal of his trip northward - he was now trying to escape from his attackers, and continually tried to slow their progress by throwing obstacles into their path (the telegraph pole, two pine trees on either side of the track with a rope strung between them, the box-car's rear wall, the bundles of freight, etc.)

Sweeping Cab with Broom

Tossing in Kindling Wood Sized Pieces

Exasperated With Her, But Offering a Loving Kiss on Her Lips

• a romantic rekindling of his relationship with Annabelle developed during their time together; he was mainly exasperated with her silly efforts to help - including throwing away a piece of firewood with a knothole in it, sweeping the cab with a broom; in particular, he found her stoking the locomotive with toothpick-sized kindling wood and half-playfully grabbed for her by the neck, throttled and shook her, but then swiftly planted a small, loving kiss on her lips; when the first train caught up to them and hooked into their rear box-car, Johnnie uncoupled it; he was also able to maneuver it so that the two Union pursuit trains smashed into each other on an elevated side track; he also deformed the tracks at a main switching point to cause a major delay during repairs
• Johnnie accomplished his main goal - to disable and destabilize the old and wooden Rock River Bridge where a division of the Union forces was about to meet their supply trains; he and Annabelle constructed a stack of firewood in the middle of the bridge and set it on fire, although Annabelle's efforts to help caused him to become trapped on the other side of the fire; to reach her side, he attempted to jump over the fire but fell through a gap in the rails into the river below, but then he was able to join up with her in the cab
• soon after, The General arrived back in Marietta, GA where Johnnie alerted the Confederate army in the Division's HQs; after avoiding a major stampede of troops in the streets leaving for the battlefront, Johnnie was able to reunite Annabelle with her convalescing father before he left to join the troops - after picking up a discarded sword belt and pistol
• the most spectacular and expensive shot (or sight gag) in all of silent film history (filmed in a single take with an actual train - not a miniature) occurred next; when the Union pursuit train The Texas confidently moved half-way across the burned-through unstable bridge spanning the Rock River, it then fell downwards - both the train and collapsing bridge plunged into the river; it was a mass of hurtling metal, exhaling/hissing smokestack steam, burning bridge logs, and a geyser of belching smoke; the alerted Confederate Army then made a surprise attack on the Union Army as it tried to ford the river
• Johnnie's slapstick efforts with a broken sword (while imitating the commanding officer) and a cannon actually helped turn the tide of battle, by spearing a sharpshooter and blowing up a dam to flood the area; the Union forces were compelled to retreat, as Johnnie grabbed and saved the Confederate flag from a falling soldier
• in the conclusion, as a result of Johnnie's bravery and heroism, he was given a new sword and a Lieutenant's uniform to wear as a sign of his promotion ("Enlist the Lieutenant"), and proudly called himself a "Soldier"; watching from afar was the adoring Annabelle with her convalescing father
• in the sweet and clever ending, as Johnnie and Annabelle both sat on The General's connecting cross-bar or side-rod between two wheels, he was forced to distractedly salute an unending parade of soldiers passing by with his right hand - interrupting his spooning (hugging and kissing) of his girlfriend; to solve the problem, Johnnie ingenuously re-positioned and adjusted himself (with Annabelle on his left) so that he could endlessly perform two simultaneous actions: romantically kissing Annabelle Lee and mechanistically and automatically saluting the passing soldiers with his right hand

Ghost Busters (1984)

• director Ivan Reitman's sci-fi fantasy comedy told about a trio of eccentric parapsychologists called upon to investigate hauntings in various NYC locations; it featured Ray Parker Jr.'s catchy theme song tune and the catchphrase: "Who ya gonna call? - Ghostbusters!" and the film's logo: a red-lined "No Ghosts" sign; its tagline was: "They're Here to Save the World"
• in the film's opening, Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) conducted an ESP test (to identify symbols on 80 cards) in his Columbia University Department of Psychology office with two paid student volunteers; he always accepted whatever answer the cute female (Jennifer Runyon) provided ("Incredible! Five for five. You can't see these, can you?...You're not cheating me, are you?"), but electrically shocked her male counterpart for every response, before he became pissed-off and left
• an unorthodox group of three unusual Columbia University parapsychologists were introduced: Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis)

Dr. Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd)

Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis)

The Trio of Parapsychologists ("Ghostbusters")

• the trio of parapsychologists were called upon to investigate a recent sighting in the basement of the New York Public Library stacks, where an elderly librarian (Alice Drummond) had already been terrorized; Ray calmly noted a purplish ghost, now in the form of an elderly lady (Ruth Oliver), who suddenly turned toward them, and was transformed into a screaming spectral hag (with effective special effects) - a great scare!
• after discovering that their funding at Columbia had been revoked, decided to go into the offbeat business for themselves as paranormal, supernatural exterminators to eliminate poltergeists, spirits, ghosts, and other haunts, by developing an eco-containment system, and using weapons and tools such as a Psychokinetic Energy Meter (PKE) and proton pack weapons; they were self-described as maverick "Ghostbusters" in modern-day New York, who set up their headquarters and services in an abandoned, unused, and dilapidated "fixer-upper" firehouse; Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) had been hired as their new secretary, although business was non-existent - no calls, no messages, and no customers

Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver)

Louis Tully (Rick Moranis)

• two NYC apartment residents were introduced: classical concert cellist-musician Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) and her nerdy accountant neighbor Louis Tully (Rick Moranis); both lived at 55 Central Park West in a huge, ominous-looking residential building known as the Ivo Shandor Building (with statues of scary growling dog-creatures on its roof); Dana discovered that her refrigerator had become a gateway for hell and the residence of ancient demi-god Zuul (the "Gatekeeper"); a bright light emanated from an "other-worldly" spiritual temple, and a small demonic dog-creature (in close-up) growled a single-word: "ZUUL" (voice of director Reitman)
• Dana summoned help from the Ghostbusters, and Venkman accompanied her back to her apartment, but was thrown out after attempting to seduce her; the Ghostbusters second job was to immediately remove a gluttonous greenish phantom ghost named Slimer from the upscale Sedgewick Hotel; on the 12th floor, the Ghostbusters encountered Slimer in the corridor on the 12th floor; Venkman came face to face with the creature in another hallway that vengefully covered him in ectoplasm during an aggressive attack; on the ground, Venkman delivered a one-liner exclamation to Ray: "He slimed me!" after being covered in dripping slime; Ray was jubilant: "That's great! Actual physical contact! Can you move?"

Ray With His Proton-Gun

Slimer Attacking

Venkman Spewed with Ectoplasm: "He slimed me"

• shortly later, in the hotel's ballroom, they were able to bring the ghost down from the ceiling and contain or capture it in a trap box positioned in the center of the room; Venkman made a statement to congratulate himself and to brag to the Hotel Manager (Michael Ensign) - "We came, we saw, we kicked its ass" - paraphrasing a famous Latin phrase, about capturing their first ghost ("What you had there was what we refer to as a focused, non-terminal repeating phantasm, or a class-five full-roaming vapor. Real nasty one too"); the manager refused to pay a specially-offered price of $5,000 for entrapment, proton-charging and storage of the beast, until threatened with the release of the ghost back into the hotel
• as they became famous, during a montage sequence, a series of parody covers of various newspapers and magazines (USA Today, The New York Post, Time Magazine, Omni, the Atlantic, the Globe) proclaimed their heroic fame; they were forced to hire a fourth Ghostbuster Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson)
• skeptical and pompous EPA agent Walter Peck (William Atherton) arrived with suspicions about how the Ghostbusters had established an unlicensed storage facility for captured ghosts
• meanwhile, at Dana's apartment building, it was discovered that Zuul was the minion (or servant) of the ancient, shape-shifting Sumerian god of destruction; the statuesque dog-like gargoyle creatures on the rooftop crumbled - opening up the stones' surfaces to reveal real-life Terror Dogs underneath; when she returned home, Dana was attacked by three clawed arms and dragged into her kitchen where one of the Terror-Dogs from the roof growled at her; meanwhile, Louis was pursued from his apartment by another Terror-Dog into nearby Central Park and Tavern-on-the-Green where he was finally cornered outside the ritzy restaurant

The Terror-Dogs Came to Life

Dana Attacked and Possessed in Her Apartment

Terror-Dog Chasing Louis into the Apartment Hallway

• when Venkman arrived for a date with Dana, he was seduced by the possessed Dana writhing atop her bed; she insisted: "I want you inside me" - he again rejected her: "No, I can't - it sounds like you got at least two people in there already. It might be a little crowded"); she angrily denied twice that she was Dana: "There is no Dana, only Zuul!" and began to rise and levitate above her bed
• similarly, her neighbor Louis had also become possessed by 'The Keymaster' (aka Vinz Clortho), and with flaring reddish eyes, he was rambling, ranting and raving as he ran back through the park; after being arrested, he was brought in a van to the Ghostbusters HQs for testing, where he claimed his identity: "Vinz Clortho, Keymaster of Gozer"
• during a second visit to the Ghostbusters' HQs, EPA lawyer Walter Peck brought a court order, and arrest and search warrants; he searched the firehouse and deactivated and shut down their illegal and dangerous containment unit; the shutting down of the containment unit storage facility had devastating consequences; the destructive blast released hundreds of captured ghosts back into NYC, represented by pink strands or bolts of psychokinetic, paranormal energy zapping out into the sky; the Ivo Shandor building where Dana and Louis lived was functioning as an antenna to attract and concentrate spiritual energy to summon Gozer and bring about supernatural chaos and the apocalypse

Pink Bolts of Energy Escaping From the Firehouse

Gatekeeper-Zuul and Keymaster Sharing a Passionate Kiss

• meanwhile, Dana and Louis were reunited respectively as Zuul - the Gatekeeper and as the Keymaster, and they shared a passionate kiss, before proceeding to the building's rooftop to open up a gateway to the ghostly-spectral dimension, and await the arrival of Gozer
• in City Hall, EPA lawyer Walter Peck accused the Ghostbusters in front of mayor Lenny Clotchof (David Margulies) of being con-men and of causing an explosion: ("These men are consummate snowball artists. They use sense and nerve gases to induce hallucinations. People think they're seeing ghosts, and they call these bozos who conveniently show up to deal with the problem with a fake electronic light show"); when Raymond retorted to Peck: ("Everything was fine with our system until the power grid was shut off by dickless here"), Venkman confirmed: ("Yes, it's true. This man has no dick")
• the Ghostbusters were summoned to the skyscraper where the doors of the Temple of Zuul had opened up (and Dana and Louis were transformed into Terror-Dogs), they were confronted by the monstrous god Gozer first appearing in the shape of a woman, the Gozerian (voice of Paddi Edwards, and portrayed by supermodel Slavitza Jovan); after Raymond threatened Gozer, Gozer angrily responded: "Are you a god?...Then die," blasting them with lightning bolts from her fingertips; fourth Ghostbuster Winston Zeddmore chastised Raymond for his stupidity: "Ray, when someone asks you if you're a God, you say YES!"
• Venkman threatened: "All right. This chick is toast...Let's show this prehistoric bitch how we do things downtown" - and the Ghostbusters, with full strength, neutronized the "nimble little minx," explaining her extermination as "a complete particle reversal"
• however, their victory was short-lived, as Gozer's booming, disembodied voice demanded that they choose or select her next physical form: "Choose the form of the Destructor!"; Ray tried to clear his mind, but was the only one to think of something
• the climax featured the legendary visual image of the evil, menacing, tall monstrous 'destructor' - a giant, 100 foot tall Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, selectively imagined to be harmless by Ray: ("I tried to think of the most harmless thing. Something I loved from my childhood. Something that could never, ever possibly destroy us. Mr. Stay Puft") - Venkman's reaction: "Mother pus-bucket!"
• the Marshmallow Man - a gigantic, 10-story tall figure terrorized the streets of New York City, resembling King Kong (or Godzilla) as it lumbered through the narrow avenues
• to combat the new manifestation of Gozer, Spengler - against his own earlier danger warning, suggested a "radical" idea. He proposed that the team members cross their proton energy streams at the dimensional gate in order to generate a positive energy influx big enough to destroy the gateway door, and to obliterate Gozer's portal; the strategy was successful - a massive, catastrophic explosion destroyed Gozer's Temple of Zuul, closed the gateway doors to Gozer's dimension, banished Gozer, and incinerated Gozer's avatar as the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, although everyone was covered in marshmallow goo

The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man

Blasting the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man

Crossing The Streams to Destroy the Temple of Zuul

• on the rooftop, the previously-possessed Dana and Louis emerged from the burned, hardened, but broken wreckage of the Terror Dog statues (with roasted hair), and were freed and rescued; everyone exited to the street level to depart in the Ecto-1 vehicle, while Louis was ignored and taken away in a Red Cross ambulance
• at the end of the credits, the gluttonous, greenish hotel apparition Slimer flew through the air and attacked the camera before the screen faded to black

The Girl Can't Help It (1956)

• writer/director Frank Tashlin's and Fox's mid-50s satirical, cartoon-like comedy musical starred buxom (42DD) blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield in her best-remembered film at a time, when she was competing for top honors with another blonde sexpot, Marilyn Monroe; it was filled with ribald sexual humor (racy for its time) and the display of Mansfield's exaggerated hourglass figure that both brought battles with the Production Code Administration. A former cartoonist, Tashlin inserted outrageous, saucy sight-gags into the film, and named his two main characters Tom and Jerri
• in the introduction, bow-tied "small-time theatrical agent" Tom Miller (Tom Ewell) opened the film by walking out onto a open stage to speak to the camera (and break the fourth wall) and to introduce the feature; and then, annoyed with the small sized B/W picture, astonished audiences by literally stretching the black edges of the boxy black and white picture - opening the viewable picture up into the wider, rectangular Cinemascope aspect ratio - and then he commanded that the picture change from B/W to Technicolor - "gorgeous life-like color by DeLuxe"
• Tom then stated the purpose of the picture: "Our story is about music, not the music of long ago but the music that expresses the culture, the refinement and the polite grace of the present day" -- rock 'n' roll; next to him, a juke-box played the title song: "The Girl Can't Help It" - drowning out his further words
• the washed-up, bankrupt and impoverished alcoholic publicity agent met in the Park Avenue apartment of retired ex-slot machine gangster Marty "Fats" Murdock (Edmond O'Brien); Murdock wanted his curvaceous blonde moll-bimbo girlfriend/fiancee Jerri Jordan (Jayne Mansfield) (real name Georgiana) - "a nice, sweet, innocent dame" - to become a rock 'n' roll star in six weeks, although she had little singing or acting talent besides her voluptuous figure
• Tom was hired for $10,000 to attempt to train her to be a rock 'n' roll singing star in six weeks in this spoof of the record industry: "That's where you come in. You're gonna make her into a star...So you got nothin' to worry about except to concentrate on buildin' the dame into a big canary. Only remember, hands off, like you got the rep for...Tommy boy, I'm puttin' her in your hands, figuratively speaking. You got six weeks to have her a star"
• Tom was unsure he could transform her so quickly and responded that six weeks was too short a time: "Six weeks? Oh, easy, Fats. It takes time. Rome wasn't built in a day," Fats reassured him: "She ain't Rome. What we're talkin' about is already built! Right?"; Tom affirmed: "No argument"

Jerri Turning Heads By Her Appearance

• Jerri made a spectacular hip-swinging walk (to the tune of "The Girl Can't Help It") down the street (wearing a tight-fitting dark blue dress and broad-rimmed hat), causing many racy reactions; the ice in an iceman's (Henry Kulky) delivery truck melted - and her swiveling moves up an apartment stoop's steps past a milk bottle delivery man (Richard Collier) caused the milk in the bottle to overflow frothily from the top (an ejaculatory metaphor); a downstairs apartment neighbor's eyeglasses shattered (accompanied by the song "She's Got It" sung by Little Richard)
• Jerri climbed to the second floor for her first meeting with recently-hired agent Tom Miller; after entering his bedroom, she held up two recently-delivered glass bottles with fresh milk to her gigantic, well-endowed chest - one in front of each breast - an obvious visual gag, and greeted him: "Good morning, Mr. Miller!" - he was aghast until she explained: "But Mr. Murdock sent me over....So you can start working on me"
• at breakfast when she was cooking, she provocatively leaned forward while pouring his coffee and serving the meal to tell Tom about how she was ready for domesticity and motherhood with Murdock: "I'm domestic. I hope you like eggs souffle....It's not exactly a breakfast, but it's eggs. I figured you for strong coffee... It's one of my favorite pasttimes... cooking... keeping house, you know, keeping everything neat. How's your souffle?...I'm glad you like it, Mr. Miller... You know, sometimes I think I'm mixed up...You should see me in the morning without makeup. I'll show you sometime. 'Pretty' is just how good you apply your base...I just want to be a wife and have kids. But everyone figures me for a sexpot. No one thinks I'm equipped for motherhood!"
• Tom took Jerri to a succession of nightclubs, to show off her appeal in a sexy, form-fitting red dress. Jerri performed an attention-getting walk to a night club's powder room in a stunning red dress) for maximum effect during Little Richard's rendition of "She's Got It," when Tom instructed her about 'Operation Powder Room': "Take your stole off and go to the powder room...Just visit a while. But on the way there and back, walk by the reservation desk"; shortly later, he spoke about the successful strategy: "See how the strategy pans out? The first time out, and already four owners are drooling over you."
• during their first rehearsal together, however, Tom soon realized she sang off-key, and her singing was so awful that she exploded a light bulb in the room; they both chuckled as he affirmed: "You can't sing" - she joined in the laughter: "I know I can't. Have you ever heard anything so awful?...Now he'll have to let you go"; she squealed when he added: "And you don't have to be in show business"; her intentions were to settle down and become a married homemaker - with him
• by the end of the film, basically a love story, Jerri revealed that she truly loved her nebbish agent Tom, who had become smitten by her; Tom passionately kissed her before she was about to be forced to marry Murdock and go on a honeymoon with him
• in the finale at a Rock & Roll Jubilee, Jerri was about to perform in her debut with the song "Rock Around the Rock Pile" written by Murdock, but she announced a change in the program; instead, she sang (her voice was dubbed) the dreamy song: "Ev'ry Time It Happens" accompanied by Ray Anthony and his band, about her love for Tom
• to his utter surprise, when Tom confessed that he had just kissed Jerri and was completely in love with her, Murdock congratulated him, shook his hand, and offered to be his best man; to save Murdock from rival jukebox manufacturer Wheeler's (John Emery) assassins, Tom pushed Murdock onstage to sing his own composition "Rock Around the Rock Pile" in place of Jerri; Wheeler was so impressed that he made an about-face, and offered a singing contract to Murdock ("Don't shoot. We'll sign him. That's talent up there") instead of to Jerri; at the same time, Jerri admitted to Tom that she really could sing, but had deliberately faked that she couldn't, so she could get away from Murdock ("I always could sing. I thought if I was real awful I'd get out of owing him")
• the film concluded with Tom and Jerri kissing on their honeymoon (in the background on a TV, Murdock and Mousie were performing)

Jerri and Tom Kissing on Their Honeymoon

Murdock and Mousie Performing on Television in Their Room

• the film (similar to the film's opening) closed with Tom, Jerri, and their many children on stage; Murdock joined them and was greeted by the children as "Uncle Fats," and they urged him: "Sing for us, Uncle Fats"; he pointed to Tom and replied: "Ask my agent"; Fats was refused by Tom who instead suggested: "Let them buy your records"; to take the spotlight in a cartoonish bit, Murdock - like the cartoon character Porky Pig ("That's all folks!") - stepped through the enclosing frame of the final shot, walked forward through the black, now-empty space to directly address the audience: "Don't listen to him, folks. I'll see ya outside in the lobby when you leave. I'll sing anything you want. I'm a Jim-Dandy singer." Then, he grabbed a cigar from somewhere, as the title song began to play.

Film's Unique Closing

The Gold Rush (1925)

• Charlie Chaplin's early silent classic featured the Tramp's (Charlie Chaplin) trademark look: mustache, baggy pants, bowler hat, and cane; it was Chaplin's own personal favorite film; it was filled with inventive pantomime sequences, slapstick comedy, social satire, and emotional and dramatic moments of tenderness
• in the spectacular opening scene, there was a view of an endless trail/line of hundreds of prospectors in the Klondike of Alaska in 1898, in the days of the Klondike Gold Rush, climbing up a mountain through the snow-covered Chilkoot Pass in search of the gold fields; one Lone Prospector (Charlie Chaplin) with his cane was making his own trail on a snow-covered path, unaware that he was being followed by a bear

WANTED Man: Black Larsen (Tom Murray)

The Tramp/Lone Prospector (Charlie Chaplin)

Big Jim McKay (Mack Swain)

• two famished, marooned fortune-seekers, the starving Lone Prospector and his large cabin-mate and companion Big Jim McKay (Mack Swain), sought shelter in the lone cabin of fearsome trapper Black Larsen (Tom Murray), a violent and "wanted" man; the three draw cards in a lottery and Larsen was sent out into the wilderness to brave the storm and search for help, food and provisions; out in the wilds, he encountered two lawmen who were looking for him. Following a struggle, he cold-bloodedly shot both law officers
• the two celebrated Thanksgiving Day dinner back in their isolated cabin; the Prospector cooked his own boot in a large pot; he took on airs as if he was a gourmet at a feast; when he served the shoe, he split the sole, cutting it like a filet, and set the smaller portion before his companion; Big Jim greedily switched the plates to get the upper portion of the shoe; the Prospector delicately chewed on the lower sole part, treating it like a delicate piece of fish as he picked his way through the leather - he treated the laces like spaghetti, coiling them about his fork; he daintily sucked the nails like they were the bones of a game bird

The Tramp Cooking Up His Own Boot For Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving Feast of a Boiled Boot

• soon after when starvation struck again during a blizzard, Big Jim McKay hallucinated that the Tramp was transformed into a giant chicken and chased him with his own dagger and a gun and later with an axe; luckily, a hungry bear wandered into the cabin, and the Tramp shot and killed it - solving their food problem
• when the two parted ways, Big Jim found Black Larsen who had stolen his mining claim; with a blow of his spade, Black Larsen knocked Big Jim to the ground; "The North. A law unto itself" repaid Black Larsen shortly thereafter - he perished in a crumbling avalanche beneath his feet
• the Tramp - a Disappointed Prospector (with just one shoe, and his second foot wrapped up) arrived in a Far North gold-mining boomtown, where he sold his pick and shovel for some gold; two new characters were introduced: tough and abusive Jack Cameron (Malcolm Waite), "the ladies man," and his pretty dancing girl Georgia (Georgia Hale); in the Monte Carlo Dance Hall that night, the Tramp was immediately smitted by Georgia after he overheard her tell her girlfriend: "I guess I'm bored...If I could only meet some one worth while - I'm so tired of this place"
• to spite and provoke Jack, Georgia called out: "Hey you! Come here!" and danced with the first available man - the incredulous Tramp; during their dance, his pants kept falling down; he improvised with a dog's leash rope to create a makeshift belt, until the dog chased a cat and dragged him across the dance floor, causing boisterous laughter
• the Tramp was no match against Jack's continued intimidations and insults; the Tramp tried to bravely defend her, but his derby hat was pulled down over his eyes, and he couldn't see who he was punching; the assailed Tramp was fortuitously saved when a heavy clock fell on Jack's head from the balcony and knocked him out
• the Tramp pretended he had fainted outside the nearby cabin of kindly prospector Hank Curtis (Henry Bergman); his stiffly-frozen body was brought inside to warm up and share a hot drink and meal of beans; meanwhile, Big Jim had lost his memory due to the blow to his head, and he "wandered aimlessly on"; during Hank's trip to his mining claim with a partner, the Tramp tended Hank's cabin and fed his mule
• the Tramp witnessed Georgia and her girlfriends outside the cabin having a snowball fight; she recognized the Tramp, and discovered her photo under the Tramp's pillow. She observed: "I guess you're lonesome here"; he took Georgia's cue and invited her and her friends to the cabin for an 8 o'clock New Year's Eve dinner; after the quartet of dance-hall girls left, the Tramp was overjoyed and acrobatically jumped all around the cabin - and engaged in a pillow-fight with himself; Georgia briefly returned to retrieve his left-behind gloves - and saw that he was covered in feathers and resembled a giant chicken
• to earn money for favors and presents for the party, he took a snow-shoveling job in a classic sequence - he cleverly shoveled snow from one cabin's doorway to the next doorway, creating new customers as he progressed along

The Tramp's Unattended New Year Eve's Party Dinner
Sitting at the Decorated Table	Dreaming of a Festive Party	"The Dance of the Rolls"

• the Tramp made elaborate preparations for a charming, entertaining New Year's Eve dinner party with Georgia and her friends, although they never intended to attend and laughed at his foolish gullibility, but he fell more deeply in love with her nonetheless; as 8 pm approached, he had already set the room (with a Christmas tree) and table with streamers, lighted candles, table napkins, party hats, presents, and a newspaper for a tablecoth; he also placed a heart-shaped place card at Georgia's seat, with "To My Love" written on it; he dozed off while pathetically waiting for them to appear; he dreamt of the party - becoming the perfect host/entertainer; instead of giving a speech, in a classic gag, "the Dance of the Rolls," he speared two crusty French bread rolls with forks and made them do a pantomime ballet-dance - the Oceana Roll; the two rolls were stand-ins for his big boots
• at midnight, Georgia fired a gun salute in the raucous dance hall saloon, and the Tramp was awakened by the celebrants; he realized the women had stood him up - they had forgotten all about his dinner invitation; the lonely Tramp (in profile) heard the distant sad singing of "Auld Lang Syne"
• Georgia suddenly remembered her little friend the Tramp, and proposed to her friends (including Jack) that they visit his cabin: "Let's go up and have some fun with him." At the same moment, the Tramp left the cabin and shuffled up to the saloon window to watch the party through the window; by the time they arrived, the Tramp had already left and his hut was empty; Georgia opened the door and entered the room, seeing the decorated dinner table; she was filled with remorse; just then, Jack followed and demanded a kiss from her, but she pushed him away. She told her girlfriends: "The joke has gone too far, let's go!"; she angrily slapped Jack when he ordered another kiss
• the next day, Big Jim returned to town and visited the Recorder's office to report his gold mine claim ("I have a mountain of gold"), but due to the blow to his head, he couldn't remember its whereabouts, but realized if he located the Tramp, he could find his way to the cabin
• in the Dance Hall that night, Georgia (on the balcony level) had a change of heart about striking Jack; she wrote a note of apology to him ("Please forgive me"), signed: "I love you"; after disregarding the unaddressed note, Jack redirected it via the bartender toward the Tramp; at the same time, Big Jim entered the dance hall and renewed acquaintances with the Tramp by grabbing and hugging him - realizing that he could relocate his mine that was near the cabin: ("The Cabin! The Cabin! Take me to the cabin...Take me to the cabin and I'll make you a millionaire in less than a month!"); before being dragged away, the Tramp spotted Georgia in the saloon's balcony, ran to her and professed his love, promising: "And now I'm going to make good --"
• the two prospectors made their way back to the cabin so that Big Jim could locate his gold strike; during a nighttime storm, the cabin was swept away and ended up hanging halfway on the edge of an abyss; in the morning when the two woke up, they were blissfully ignorant that the cabin teetered on the edge of a crevasse
• after hair-raising adventures in the cabin as it was precariously balanced, Big Jim realized that his claim was located where he had stuck his pick-axe into the ground; after the cabin tumbled into the crevasse, but they were safe, the two embraced: "Look! We're rich! We're millionaires"
• in the closing, the Tramp was now a newly-made millionaire (due to his gold-mine strike with Big Jim) - an elegant, well-dressed gentleman on board a ship in first-class returning home from Alaska; he was unaware that Georgia was on the same boat, one of the steerage passengers; for picture taking of the Tramp for a reporter's story on his incredible rags-to-riches career transformation, the Tramp was asked to dress in his mining clothes and shoes; he was saddened however since he had "everything but Georgia"; suddenly, as he posed and backed up, he fell off the top deck, and tumbled onto the steerage level where he encountered Georgia who had heard that the officials were looking for a stowaway on board

Rendezvous with Georgia on Board Ship Leaving Alaska

• the Tramp fell into a large rope coil, where Georgia noticed him and offered to protect him from ship officials and pay his passage's steerage fare, without knowing about his good fortune with Big Jim; the truth was revealed that the Tramp was a wealthy multi-millionaire; he alerted the ship's steward James to prepare his luxury suite, and began to lead Georgia up to his first class cabin after whispering to one of the officials that she was his fiancee; he invited the photographers to take an engagement picture of them on the first-class deck; the photographer was perturbed that they couldn't restrain themselves and hold still, and moved to kiss each other and spoiled his shot; the final image ended on their loving kiss

Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)

• director Barry Levinson's comedy war drama and story was centered around the manic, partly ad-libbed, non-stop, and improvised on-air broadcasts of a mid-1960s Vietnam-era Armed Forces Radio DJ
• the opening broadcast of radio DJ Adrian Cronauer (Oscar-nominated Robin Williams) began with his wake-up catchphrase salutation in his debut show at 6 am before a barrage of non-stop humor: "Gooooooood Mor-ning, Viet-naaaaaam! Hey, this is not a test! This is rock and roll. Time to rock it from the Delta to the DMZ. Is that me, or does that sound like an Elvis Presley movie? Viva Da Nang. 'Oh, viva Da Nang. Da Nang me, Da Nang me, why don't they get a rope and hang me?' Hey, is it a little too early for being that loud? Hey, too late. It's 0600. What's the 'O' stand for? Oh, my God, it's early. Speaking of early, how about that Cro-Magnon Marty Dreiwitz? Thank you, Marty, for 'silky-smooth sound'. Make me sound like Peggy Lee"
• during his first break - DJ Cronauer gave an off-mike question to his assistant PFC Edward Garlick (Forest Whitaker), asking: "Too much?"
• DJ Cronauer compared the Vietnamese DMZ (DeMilitarized Zone) to The Wizard of Oz: ("What is a demilitarized zone? Sounds like something out of The Wizard of Oz" -- (as Glinda) 'Oh no, don't go in there!' (as Winkies) 'Ohhh-wee-ohh, Ho Chi Minh.' (as Glinda) 'Oh, look, you've landed in Saigon. You're among the little people now' (Munchkin voice) 'We represent the ARVN Army, the ARVN Army. Oh, no. Follow the Ho Chi Minh Trail! Follow the Ho Chi Minh Trail!' (as Witch) 'Oh, I'll get you, my pretty!' (normal voice) 'Oh, my God, it's the Wicked Witch of the North. It's Hanoi Hannah!' (as Witch) 'Now, little GI, you and your little tutu, too!' (cackling) (accent as Woman) 'Oh, Adrian. Adrian, what are you doing, Adrian?' (normal voice) 'Oh, Hannah, you slut. You've been down on everything but the Titanic. Stop it right now'")
• he continued on - pretending to talk to a listener named Roosevelt: "Can you help me?" "What's your name?" (as Black Man) "My name's Roosevelt E. Roosevelt." "Roosevelt, what town are you stationed in?" "I'm stationed in Poontang." "Well, thank you Roosevelt. What's the weather like out there?" "It's hot, damn hot, real hot. Hottest things is my shorts. I could cook things in it. Little crotch-pot cookin'." "Well, can you tell me what it feels like?" "Fool, it's hot! I told you again. Were you born on the sun? It's damn hot. I saw - It's so damn hot, I saw these little guys their orange robes burst into flames. It's that hot. Do you know what I'm talking about?" "What do you think it's gonna be like tonight?" "It's gonna be hot and wet! That's nice if you're with a lady, but it ain't no good if you're in the jungle." "Thank you, Roosevelt"
• Adrian also made a joke about a "protective dike": ("The Mississippi River broke through a protective dike today." What is a protective dike? Is that a large woman standing by the river, goin' 'Don't go near there!' But Betty - 'Don't go near there! Get away from the river! Stay away from there'... I know we can't use the word 'dyke.' You can't even say 'lesbian' anymore, it's 'women in comfortable shoes.' Thank You.")
• during the so-called "abbreviation" scene, DJ Cronauer used Army jargon to imitate Lt. Steven Hauk (Bruno Kirby) speaking about former Vice-President Nixon: "Excuse me, sir. Seeing as how the V.P. is such a V.I.P., shouldn't we keep the P.C. on the Q.T.? 'Cause if it leaks to the V.C. he could end up M.I.A., and then we'd all be put out in K.P."
• Cronauer also irreverently commented on the Pope's bathsoap product: ("Also the Pope decided today to release Vatican-related bath products. An incredible thing, yes, it's the new Pope On A Rope. That's right. Pope On A Rope. Wash with it, go straight to heaven. Thank you"); his assistant PFC Edward Garlick broke up in laughter
• Nixon's real voice was broadcast in an irreverent "off-color parody" - the DJ spliced in an embarrassing interview question asked of Nixon during a taped press conference: "I think I'd like to delve into something slightly more personal for the men in the field. How would you describe your testicles?" - Nixon answered - an actual quote from the press conference: "That they're soft and they're very shallow and they serve no purpose...They lack the physical strength"; Lt. Hauk reacted with dismay to the broadcast

The Graduate (1967)

• the opening sequence in which passive recent college grad Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) was told at his materialistic parent's celebratory party - a famous one-word line of advice - to enter the career field of "Plastics!...there's a great future in plastics"
• the scene of bumbling and bewildered Benjamin's reactions to neurotic, lecherous and cynical close family friend Mrs. Robinson's (Anne Bancroft) cool but firm sexual advances and brazen seduction as she lured him into her house, poured drinks, and left him flustered and confused; she was perched with her left leg up on a bar stool (with the camera shooting under her upraised leg); Benjamin delivered a befuddled reply-question: "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me! - Aren't you?"
• the sequence of Benjamin's attempts to be suave as he checked into the Taft Hotel for the first of their many trysts; signing himself in as "Mr. Gladstone" and feigning sleepiness, he assured the room desk clerk (Buck Henry) that he had his toothbrush
• during the seduction scene in the bedroom, he prematurely kissed her while she was trying to exhale cigarette smoke; aggravating his bad case of nerves by her coolness, she asked before starting to undress: "I'll get undressed now, is that alright?"; he queried: "Shall I just stand here? I mean, I don't know what you want me to do," then agreed to watch and clumsily retrieved a hanger for her clothes; he asked, ridiculously: "Wood or wire? They have both"; then, he spontaneously grabbed Mrs. Robinson's right breast and banged his head against the wall in frustration, babbling moral platitudes ("I think you're the most attractive of all my parents' friends"); Benjamin resolved to end the affair before it began, because he could not believe that an older married woman, one of his parents' best friends, was seducing him

The Great Dictator (1940)

• the scene of unnamed Jewish barber (Chaplin) shaving a customer in rhythmic time to a radio broadcast of Brahms' Hungarian Dance No. 5
• the sublime mock ballet sequence of Hynkel dancing with a globe balloon - a floating map of the earth's world - a visual, satirical metaphor of what he hoped to dominate
• the comically-tense scene in which he faced a suicidal mission if he found a coin in his pudding cake and his painful consumption of three coins (only to hiccup them out at the last moment, like winnings spit out from a slot machine)
• the comedic scene of egomaniacal Hitler look-alike Tomainian dictator Adenoid Hynkel (Chaplin) and Mussolini-like Benzino Napaloni (Jack Oakie) seated adjacent to each other in adjustable barber's chairs as they competed to be higher

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

• the cameo scene in which Leonard Maltin (Himself) was attacked by angry gremlins and strangled for panning the original Gremlins (1984) ("I was just kidding! It's a ten!...a ten!") on a cable network broadcast from the Clamp Enterprises Tower
• the scene of the discussion of flaws in the Gremlin rules regarding the prohibition of feeding the creatures after midnight
• the funny parody sequence that poked fun at the "Why I Hate Christmas" dialog by Kate (Phoebe Cates) from the first film - but this time a fear of anything related to Abraham Lincoln
• the many cameos, and rapid-fire movie and cultural references (Hulk Hogan, Rambo, "I'm melting" from The Wizard of Oz, Daffy Duck, The Phantom of the Opera, The Munsters, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and many more) - especially the Marathon Man (1976) spoof when Daffy the Gremlin reenacted the "Is it safe?" scene in a dentist's office
• Brain Gremlin's (voice of Tony Randall) "what we want is civilization" speech and his belting out, Broadway-style "New York, New York" at the climax, joined by hundreds of Gremlins in the lobby

Groundhog Day (1993)

• the fascinating, existentialist premise of the film: "What would you do if you were stuck in one place, and every day was exactly the same and nothing you did mattered?"
• the character of grumpy, obnoxious Pittsburgh weather forecaster Phil Connors (Bill Murray), who despised reporting on Groundhog Day, and told his co-workers Rita (Andie MacDowell) and Larry (Chris Elliot) while on-camera: "This is pitiful. A thousand peopIe freezin' their butts off, waiting to worship a rat. What a hype! Groundhog Day used to mean something in this town. They used to pull the hog out, and they used to eat it. You're hypocrites! All of ya!"
• the first time that Phil re-awakened on the "Groundhog Day" morning of February 2nd at 6 am in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania (for the annual Groundhog Day festival) to the tune of his clock radio playing Sonny and Cher's I Got You, Babe - and realized that he was in an inescapable time loop ("What the hell?"), and he confronted another hotel guest: ("Didn't we do this yesterday?...Don't mess with me, porkchop! What day is this?")
• the scenes of his annoyance, boredom, exhilaration, and self-destructive despair over the repetitive day, and his repetitive reaction: "Aw nuts!"
• his conversation in a local restaurant with attractive customer Nancy Taylor (Marita Geraghty), when he gathered biographical information from her (her name, her high-school, her 12th grade English teacher), and then the next day used the info to get her attention and charm her: "Nancy... Lincoln... Walsh"; he claimed that he was a classmate who asked her to the prom; he was able to make out with her, but kept mistakenly calling her "Rita"
• the 4th waking in which Connors again met annoying insurance salesman "Needlenose" Ned Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky), a former HS classmate - also known as "Needlenose Ned" or "Ned the Head" on the street with an enthusiastic "Ned!" - and this time punched him to the ground with one sock; and later, Phil pretending to be gay and hitting on Ned to get him to leave: ("I don't know where you're headed, but can you call in (sick)?")
• Phil's many successful rescues and repetitive daily chores (catching a boy falling out of a tree, saving the mayor from choking during dinner, and rescuing a homeless bum during a cold night)
• his successful suicides and self-destructive behaviors (driving off a cliff into a deep rock quarry in a stolen pickup truck (while holding absconded Phil the groundhog behind the wheel ("Don't drive angry") and spouting the line as they crashed: "It's showtime, Phil!"), electrocution with a toaster in a bathtub, stepping in front of a moving truck, swan-diving off a building, stuffing his face with food, robbing a bank's cash delivery, etc.)
• his lunch date with his lovely film producer Rita, when he stuffed his mouth with a sandwich, and told her: "I don't even have to floss"
• Phil's line to Rita: "I'm a God. I'm not the God, I don't think..." - he explained that he had survived numerous threats to his life: ("I didn't just survive a wreck. I wasn't just bIown up yesterday. I have been stabbed, shot, poisoned, frozen, hung, eIectrocuted and burned....Every morning, I wake up without a scratch, not a dent in the fender. I am an immortaI... I want you to beIieve in me"); when she was unconvinced, he revealed his all-knowing, omniscient ability about all the restaurant's customers and employees (their names, desires, quirks, etc.)
• the progression of Phil's learning day after day about how to woo-seduce the idealistic Rita by learning her likes and dislikes (including 19th century French poetry and a sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist), that would help him to become her ideal man after repeated dates: "I know all about you. You like producing, but you hope for more than Channel 9 in Pittsburgh....You like boats but not the ocean. You go to a lake in the summer with your family up in the mountains. There's a long wooden dock and a boathouse with boards missing from the roof, and a place you used to crawI underneath to be alone. You're a sucker for French poetry and rhinestones. You're very generous. You're kind to strangers and children. And when you stand in the snow you look like an angel"; Rita emphatically rejected him when she realized he had rehearsed every part of the date