Filmbrain's Screen Capture Quiz: Round 16, Week 5

"Beside it every movie since Zéro de Conduite and Modern Times is so much child's play." Just one of the many eyebrow raising lines from James Agee's epic review of Chaplin's Monsieur Verdoux that took three consecutive issues of The Nation to run in its entirety. While Agee's piece is one of the strongest defenses of the film, a closer reading reveals certain contradictory statements throughout. (Statements I'm too lazy to dig up right now, but the entire review can be found in the must-own collection, Agee on Film.) That's William Frawley and Martha Raye in Chaplin's masterwork -- two actors who, in the 60s and 70s, could be found all over the tiny screen. Frawley of course will forever remain in syndication as Lucy and Desi's cranky neighbor, while Martha Raye ("The Big Mouth") would pop up everywhere from The Bugaloos, McMillan & Wife, and personal favorite, Alice. The two appeared together on screen three times -- in 1937's Double or Nothing, 1940's The Farmer's Daughter, and finally Monsieur Verdoux in 1947. This week: I don't think I've ever met anybody who hasn't seen this film. Name the film, and for a bonus point, tell me how Elvis Costello is connected to it. Submit your answers to this address. Good luck!

Comments

[Tom]

Monsieur Verdoux is on the way to Film Forum via The Film Desk... can't wait to see it on the big screen...

http://www.filmforum.org/films/monsieur.html

[Ashley]

I sincerely hope this wasn't another of your '80s cinematic obsessions that have dominated this round.

[Filmbrain]

LOL....no.

[Noel Vera]

The photo is not from the '80s? I'm way off base then.

[mike]

of course it is FB's cinematic obsession.

who wouldn't be obsessed with drew barrymore? (now, of course - not when she was 6; that's just wrong)