It’s a Wonderful Life [1946]
1. A butterfly collection displayed on the wall of the dining room.
2. Burt gives the newlyweds a bottle of champagne. It’s during Prohibition!
3. Mr. Gower wears newspapers under his shirt to keep warm.
3 other things, and 3 other things, and 3 other things.
The Thin Man [1934]
1. “Hey, that’s my hat!”
Nick wriggles it around like it’s a flapping bird and says, “Come and get it, while it’s hot.”
2. He takes a whiff of what’s under the concrete and shoos Asta away.
3. The policeman commands them to take a cocktail.
The Shop Around the Corner [1940]
1. Her gloved hand inside the empty post office box.
2. A cacophony of cigarette boxes.
3. The way he tactfully gleans if anyone is without plans for Christmas Eve.
Frank Morgan FTW.
Down Argentine Way [1940]
1. “I’ll go all right! I wouldn’t stay if you threw a barbecue in my honor!”
2. Charlotte Greenwood’s Pac-Man hands during “Sing to Your Señorita.”
3. Betty Grable’s aggressively stripy jacket.
The White Ribbon [2009]
1. Acne in crisp black & white.
2. An added layer of meaning when she says, “Sleep tight.”
3. “I never saw the villagers again.” A very slow fade to black, as if all the people and places we’ve just seen are gradually dissolving into nothingness.
Murder Most Foul [1964]
1. “One member of that jury was being deliberately perverse.”
“Many more than one, Inspector, I assure you. Eleven, to be precise.”
2. She turns her cape into a lap blanket.
3. A pocket mirror fastened to the end of a cane.
Billion Dollar Brian [1967]
1. Leo has a tattoo near his neck. What does it mean?
2. Homolka in long underwear and black garters.
3. General Midwinter has a rather unsubtle logo to match his rather unsubtle name.
Funeral in Berlin [1966]
1. The customs agent opens the suitcase, revealing a collection of lingerie, then looks up at Palmer for an explanation.
2. “What will you tell Ross?”
“I don’t know. Let’s get out of here. I’ve got some fiction to write.”
3. He asks about an interest free loan of £800 for a car.
The Ipcress File [1965]
1. He grinds his own coffee! And uses a french press! In 1965! No wonder he’s referred to as a gourmet.
2. “Do you ever take off your glasses?” she asks.
“No,” he replies. “Only when I’m in bed.”
She takes off his glasses.
3. He cuts his wrists with the restraints in order resist the hypnosis.
Certainly Furie’s artiest flick. Interesting to see how it overlaps yet resists the James Bond formula.
