DukeCity Posted August 9, 2007 Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 Just now watching "Song of the Thin Man" from 1947. Nick and Nora Charles are hanging out with Keenan Wynn, who is playing a jazz musician with lots of hipster lingo. Keenan's character is talking to a clarinet player and refers to the guy's horn as a "Jew Flute." Never heard that one before... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Just now watching "Song of the Thin Man" from 1947. Nick and Nora Charles are hanging out with Keenan Wynn, who is playing a jazz musician with lots of hipster lingo. Keenan's character is talking to a clarinet player and refers to the guy's horn as a "Jew Flute." Never heard that one before... Me either but Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw must be the reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeCity Posted August 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Just now watching "Song of the Thin Man" from 1947. Nick and Nora Charles are hanging out with Keenan Wynn, who is playing a jazz musician with lots of hipster lingo. Keenan's character is talking to a clarinet player and refers to the guy's horn as a "Jew Flute." Never heard that one before... Me either but Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw must be the reason. Could be. I was thinking maybe a reference to Klezmer music... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 (edited) From http://www.fortunecity.de/lindenpark/hunde...r/517/Lamb.html It is worthy of observation, that he has seldom drawn a mean or insignificant countenance.[1] Hogarth's mind was eminently reflective; and, as it has been well observed of Shakspeare, that he has transfused his own poetical character into the persons of his drama (they are all more or less poets) Hogarth has impressed a thinking character upon the persons of his canvas. This remark must not be taken universally. The exquisite idiotism of the little gentleman in the bag and sword beating his drum in the print of the Enraged Musician, would of itself rise up against so sweeping an assertion. But I think it will be found to be true of the generality of his countenances. The knife-grinder and Jew flute-player in the plate just mentioned, may serve as instances instead of a thousand. They have intense thinking faces, though the purpose to which they are subservient by no means required it; but indeed it seems as if it was painful to Hogarth to contemplate mere vacancy or insignificance. Edited August 10, 2007 by JSngry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalo Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Didn't realize it went back as far as Hogarth. How soon before a Zorn or associates disc appropriates the title "Jew Flute"? Song of the Thin Man is a weird flick. Nick and Nora seem very out of place in the 1940s, especially with film noir femme fatale Gloria Graham lurking about... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeCity Posted August 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Song of the Thin Man is a weird flick. Nick and Nora seem very out of place in the 1940s, especially with film noir femme fatale Gloria Graham lurking about... Yes, the earlier films (before they had a kid; a classic symptom of "Jumping the Shark") were a little more fun, as Nick and Nora partied non-stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Song of the Thin Man is a weird flick. Nick and Nora seem very out of place in the 1940s, especially with film noir femme fatale Gloria Graham lurking about... Yes, the earlier films (before they had a kid; a classic symptom of "Jumping the Shark") were a little more fun, as Nick and Nora partied non-stop. I would tend to agree, however The Thin Man Goes Home is one of my favorites. A very witty script by Robert Riskin and a classic Loy comedic performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epithet Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 (edited) Didn't realize it went back as far as Hogarth. But does the clarinet? Edited August 10, 2007 by Epithet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalo Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Didn't realize it went back as far as Hogarth. But does the clarinet? Can anyone ID that instrument in the Hogarth print? A recorder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalo Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Song of the Thin Man is a weird flick. Nick and Nora seem very out of place in the 1940s, especially with film noir femme fatale Gloria Graham lurking about... Yes, the earlier films (before they had a kid; a classic symptom of "Jumping the Shark") were a little more fun, as Nick and Nora partied non-stop. In one of the last films, the kid was a young Dean Stockwell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeCity Posted August 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Didn't realize it went back as far as Hogarth. But does the clarinet? You betcha! Hogarth was working in the first half of the 18th century, and that is about the time that the clarinet was developed (from a recorder-like instrument called the chalumeau). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim McG Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 (edited) The ultimate in Hipster-Speak: Edited August 10, 2007 by GoodSpeak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Didn't realize it went back as far as Hogarth. But does the clarinet? Can anyone ID that instrument in the Hogarth print? A recorder? Oboe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man with the Golden Arm Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Didn't realize it went back as far as Hogarth. But does the clarinet? Can anyone ID that instrument in the Hogarth print? A recorder? Oboe? I'm voting Nay, flute that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 funny, I always think of it as a Shiksa trombone - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 All's fair, I guess. Kenny G did turn the ol' soprano sax into a honky stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alocispepraluger102 Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 All's fair, I guess. Kenny G did turn the ol' soprano sax into a honky stick. that was a magnificent line, 'RD' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Song of the Thin Man is a weird flick. Nick and Nora seem very out of place in the 1940s, especially with film noir femme fatale Gloria Graham lurking about... I've long thought of it as the worst entry in the series, the only one I really wish they hadn't made. That's in the nature of the film series I guess. They can't stop cranking them out 'til they make a real stinker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 It's a flageolet? Actually, looking at what Hogarth did, don't you know exactly how it sounds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alocispepraluger102 Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 time for aloc to listen to 'Dave Frishberg I'm Hip,' and fetch 'song of the thin man' from the library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalo Posted August 11, 2007 Report Share Posted August 11, 2007 It's a flageolet? Actually, looking at what Hogarth did, don't you know exactly how it sounds? Hogarth was so good that you can practically smell what it sounds like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeCity Posted August 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2007 time for aloc to listen to 'Dave Frishberg I'm Hip,'... "I even call my girlfriend "Man"..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoGrubb Posted August 11, 2007 Report Share Posted August 11, 2007 time for aloc to listen to 'Dave Frishberg I'm Hip,' and fetch 'song of the thin man' from the library. Is that the one/act that contains the guy running out in front of cars being in the "insurance" business? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted August 11, 2007 Report Share Posted August 11, 2007 Song of the Thin Man is a weird flick. Nick and Nora seem very out of place in the 1940s, especially with film noir femme fatale Gloria Graham lurking about... I've long thought of it as the worst entry in the series, the only one I really wish they hadn't made. That's in the nature of the film series I guess. They can't stop cranking them out 'til they make a real stinker. It's long been interesting to me pretty much solely for how Hollywood was depicting the quasi-bop hipster musicians in the film, and in the 1940s in general. Falls flat as a THIN MAN entry because much of the formula for the series' success rested on Powell and Loy's arch, knowing humor--but in this one they're shown as being older and suddenly somewhat square. Their "what the h are these kids talking about?" kind of responses wears out fast... the attempted transition didn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted August 11, 2007 Report Share Posted August 11, 2007 It's a flageolet? Actually, looking at what Hogarth did, don't you know exactly how it sounds? Hogarth was so good that you can practically smell what it sounds like! "Hogarth"? Might as well name him Zeppo or somethin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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