tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141014462966058399.post1375835761903706995..comments2023-06-14T05:36:15.460-04:00Comments on The Skeins: Parrish (1961): Tobacco Will Stunt Your GrowthUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141014462966058399.post-38506676380520056272012-01-24T13:52:11.883-05:002012-01-24T13:52:11.883-05:00Thanks, Allen. The links are great and it's go...Thanks, Allen. The links are great and it's good to know some land is still cultivated and hasn't been sub-divided in your beautiful state.Moira Finniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12626493736940699514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141014462966058399.post-73538512246331355232012-01-23T23:42:57.463-05:002012-01-23T23:42:57.463-05:00Moira,
The land was sold off in the roaring 80...Moira,<br /><br />The land was sold off in the roaring 80's but some did hold on to theirs and it must be prospering today as there are still farms growing shade (tent cloth like Parrish) which is for the famous Connecticut cigar wrapper and broadleaf (which is outside without cover) although some farms have diversified. <br /><br />If you search the Luddy/Taylor Tobacco Museum in Windsor you can get some first-hand info back and maybe plan a trip to see the real thing grown someday. There is no finer aroma than a curing shed (the leaves are being dried and then dampened to pack and ship). They are at: http://www.tobaccohistsoc.org/<br /><br />I do have some memories of the film - especially the hi-delly ho-delly scene at the end (using Chaffee school girls - not real tobacco workers) and the fight scene. <br /><br />Here's some info on the use of Terra Mar and Mystic Seaport for filming also:<br /><br />http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19600613&id=EFcrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vJwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=7051,2289910<br /><br />Yes, they tried to get the authenticity of tobacco into that film but overplay things like Blue Mold and no one would ever work with headlights all around the fields so there was some added drama. Sheds burned? Not for that reason but they did burn and are spectacular sights when they did. <br /><br />Good to talk some Parrish and tobacco with you!Allen Forsythnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141014462966058399.post-20885875810661896552012-01-22T11:47:05.166-05:002012-01-22T11:47:05.166-05:00Thanks for sharing your own experiences on this fi...Thanks for sharing your own experiences on this film, Allen. I was especially interested in your first-hand knowledge of the locations used and the working milieu for tobacco hands. I have the impression that except for those areas where cigar tobacco is cultivated still, the land is no longer used very much for agriculture in CT. Is that correct?<br /><br />I relished this movie, even though I thought it was way over the top too. I am so glad to read that <b>Delmer Daves</b> made a positive impression during this location shoot. He never seems to have gotten his due for his work, though whenever I see his name on a film, from movies as diverse as <b>Pride of the Marines</b> (1945), <b>Broken Arrow</b> (1950), <b>3:10 to Yuma</b> (1957), <b>The Hanging Tree</b> (1959) and <b>A Summer Place</b> (1959)--I know that there will be something of value for me to enjoy in the acting, the story telling and the composition of a frame of a film. He'll never be an auteur, I suppose, but he was a good writer and even when the scripts he was given were not the best, he gave something better than expected to the work. <br /><br />Many thanks for stopping by. <br />Cheers,<br /><br />MoiraMoira Finniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12626493736940699514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141014462966058399.post-56760101582842728592012-01-22T09:08:56.044-05:002012-01-22T09:08:56.044-05:00I grew up working under the tobacco cloth of Winds...I grew up working under the tobacco cloth of Windsor. The film depicted what the industry was about, but of course there was none of the competition to "take over" the valley. They all really helped each other.<br /><br />Your review is a good one though and covers so much about the film. We were there during the filming (I was a small tad) as we lived around the corner from where a good section was filmed, not really Poquonock, although some was shot there. It was mainly the Day Hill/Marshall Phelps area of Windsor. The opening fly-over is from the farm that my father managed, AST Farm 25. <br /><br />My mother has a book with all of the autographs - and Delmer Daves had the most impressive autograph and she seemed to like him best out there. She remembers T. Donohue as forgetting his lines and always retaking. <br /><br />Working in tobacco, btw, was mainly HOT (the Stevens character gets it) work and yes it rained, but that must have been the year. It was great fun and you could earn $$$$ doing it at 14 years old.Allen Forsythnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141014462966058399.post-90276806591554808862011-04-22T21:57:00.685-04:002011-04-22T21:57:00.685-04:00Hello again, Moira!
What interesting background f...Hello again, Moira!<br /><br />What interesting background for Sharon Hugueny - thanks much for sharing it.<br /><br />Yes, I'm trying to work my way through the films of both Claudette and Gail Russell, as well as Priscilla Lane. :) A diverse group of ladies. <br /><br />I recently started watching the Warner Archive release of THE TWO MRS. GRENVILLES and need to make the time to get back to it! It's rather amazing to watch it and realize how long it had been since Colbert had acted on film -- she was a complete pro, as always.<br /><br />Best wishes for a very happy Easter!<br />LauraLaurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09626109831176745957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141014462966058399.post-81966508964459904612011-04-22T19:49:32.682-04:002011-04-22T19:49:32.682-04:00Hi Jacqueline and Laura!
I had to find some fun w...Hi Jacqueline and Laura!<br /><br />I had to find some fun way to translate this movie-viewing experience into something besides 2 hours+ that I'll never get back, but it is a kick if a few simpatico people also get some enjoyment from my wise guy remarks about such entertainment.<br /><br />Jacqueline, I understand how you might find these adolescent films of the early "post-modern" period wanting in depth and credibility. They are not good as a steady diet, but as a treat occasionally, they can be fun.<br /><br />You might enjoy seeing this film since there are many characters who I suspect were locals who were given a line or two. They stand out from the 8 x 10 glossies with their natural manners and strong accents. Since there are several large crowd scenes in the movie, I really hope that you can find your late friend's face in the crowd.<br /><br />Regarding the farming aspects of this story, what is shown is fascinating, though there are only sketchy bits of info given verbally but lots of beautiful visuals. For people who once made their living this way, it must be a time trip to see this movie, though apparently parts of CT and MA are still used for tobacco. Btw, I found that the Wintonbury Land Trust now owns much of the property, the Thrall Property and farm structures that were featured in the movie. The land and buildings such as Sala Post's farmhouse are very beautiful and very N.E., and part of the reason to enjoy this movie--even if you don't get a kick out of talking back to the characters when they spout some outlandish dialogue. ;-)<br /><br />Laura, I thought Sharon Hugueny was really beguiling, even if at only 17, she didn't seem to have a polished technique in her scenes in Parrish. I don't remember seeing her on Maverick, though, as Karl Malden pointed out, her brief experiences as an actor may have been a case of 'too much, too soon' for a youngster in Hollywood. I did discover that she was producer Robert Evans' first wife for six months when he was 30 and she was 17, and was later married twice more, becoming a mother of one boy. I hope she had some happiness in her brief life. She was only 52 when she died of cancer. On the day that she married Evans, Rosanno Brazzi, a guest at the wedding, reportedly told Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. that the "raven-haired bride was the brush of Michelangelo."<br /><br />Is it possible that you are trying to see all of Claudette Colbert's movies, just as you have been pursuing Gail Russell's films!!?? Since posting this blog, I found some quotes from Claudette Colbert regarding the making of Parrish and her rather mixed feelings about the project, which I've added to the section of the blog describing her and Malden's interaction. It sounds as though Colbert just called it a day after this one (until that juicy part in The Two Mrs. Grenvilles came along). I hope she kept the wardrobe from Parrish. It was lovely, except for that uncharacteristic gown!<br /><br />I don't think that you'll be disappointed by Dub Taylor. He's a hoot.<br /><br />Thank you both for taking the time to post a comment. Please know that I am wishing both of you a Joyous and Peaceful Easter this Sunday.<br />Appreciatively,<br />Moira<br /><br />P.S. Susan Slade is being broadcast on TCM at 12AM EDT on Sat morning, April 23rd. What a way to start the weekend.Moira Finniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12626493736940699514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141014462966058399.post-90001481781234048212011-04-22T13:14:19.505-04:002011-04-22T13:14:19.505-04:00What a fun review! I smiled all the way through i...What a fun review! I smiled all the way through it. Haven't seen the movie yet, but I have the DVD set which includes it, and I'm sure I'll be checking it out at some point in order to check another Claudette film off my list. I'll be remembering your comments on Dub Taylor, in particular.<br /><br />I'm familiar with Sharon Hugueny from a couple episodes of MAVERICK -- have always wondered why, in that era, her last name wasn't changed as it's relatively difficult to figure out how to pronounce. :)<br /><br />Best wishes,<br />LauraLaurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09626109831176745957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141014462966058399.post-51692143691549758062011-04-22T09:00:05.454-04:002011-04-22T09:00:05.454-04:00Brilliant. Especially the dress-as-toothpaste tub...Brilliant. Especially the dress-as-toothpaste tube remark. I confess, these late '50s, early '60s angst-filled younger generation movies have never had much attraction for me, and I tend to watch them for the clothes and the cars more than anything. Like you, I'm more interested in the farming aspect of this movie (though - another confession - I always seem to miss seeing the whole movie. Even when it played recently, I discovered it too late.) But I have two reasons for forcing myself to watch the whole thing one of these days: one, it's filmed in my neck of the woods and I'd like to see how much has changed or hasn't, and two, I had a friend, sadly deceased now, who mentioned that as a young man working a summer job on a tobacco farm (once a common thing hereabouts), he found himself ordered to stop work and gather with a bunch of the other workers to cheer Troy Donahue at the end of this movie. At lease some of it was filmed where they were working. I've never seen my friend's "movie debut", and I'm not sure I'd recognize him in a crowd shot anyway, but watching it something I have to do for my pal. <br /><br />Thanks for a great review.Jacqueline T. Lynchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047941886908178350noreply@blogger.com