Things you often Wonder

[Follyfoot]

On 01/06/2023 at 21:49, Mandy Lifeboats said:

Why aren't whoopee cushions filled with gravy AND have a small pocket to insert stink bombs? 

Sounds like an @blandy fish and pickle supper 

[Mark Albrighton]

Moved to here away from the funny pictures thread.

31 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Has anybody ever been tied to a railway line? 

Was this just a Hollywood invention or is it based on some kind of fact? 

Funnily enough, I have done some reading about this before.

I’ve often wondered about the old film trope, a damsel being tied to the train tracks by a moustache twirling villain. I know this from old cartoons, but is there some particular origin of it. 

Quote

On her site Kramer identifies the first occurrence of this type of scene in an 1867 Victorian stage melodrama called Under The Gaslight. The play’s stage directions call for one of the characters (named Snorkey) to be tied to the train tracks by the villain. It’s close to the scene we’re familiar with save for the fact that the person on the tracks is a man, and he’s saved by the leading lady.

This sort of train-based peril became a regular element of the melodramas as a cheap and easy way to create suspense. Moving into the early-20th century, and the silent film era, many films took their cues from those same 19th-century stage dramas. One of the more famous examples of this type of story was the serial The Perils of Pauline, which saw the titular heroine encounter all kinds of scoundrels and villains each week, who would put her in life-threatening danger—although it is important to note that she was never tied to the railroad tracks. This sort of overblown adventure tale became a well-known story type in its time, but that melodramatic style also inspired some comedies, which spoofed some of the more overused elements of the genre.

Link

Basically it seems like it was a melodramatic device that became overused in plays. The article suggests that the more famous 1920/30’s films using it are doing it comically, kinda tongue in cheek. It says a film doing it in the 1930’s is the equivalent of a film doing a Saturday Night Fever pastiche now. So those old Warner Brothers cartoons are likely joking about an idea that was already mocked. That one of the most famous early uses this was a lay with the woman saving the man I find interesting - I’m sure I’ve read elsewhere that this was something that happened often, the hero needing to be saved.

In answer to your question, yes it did happen. There’s one account of it happening in 1874 in Indiana. Sadly, it’s also happened more recently in France 2017 in a murder suicide act, a man murdering his (ex?) partner in that manner and presumably killing himself by jumping in front of the train.

[TheAuthority]

14 hours ago, Mark Albrighton said:

Basically it seems like it was a melodramatic device 

I was just wondering why is it that whenever a lead character is being chased and they get into a car or onto a motorbike to escape, that is the time the vehicle won't start and needs 3 or 4 attempts before spluttering into life just seconds before the assailant arrives on the scene.

[BOF]

5 hours ago, TheAuthority said:

I was just wondering why is it that whenever a lead character is being chased and they get into a car or onto a motorbike to escape, that is the time the vehicle won't start and needs 3 or 4 attempts before spluttering into life just seconds before the assailant arrives on the scene.

And in the USA, whether leaving or arriving at a scene regardless of the speed, the tyres will always squeal/screech to some extent. American rubber must be rubbish

[mjmooney]

Cars in films are easy for the bad guy to steal, because when the good guy gets out, he ALWAYS leaves the keys in the ignition. 

[sidcow]

Anyone ever heard a frog "ribbit"?

Another Hollywood invention.  I've seen Hollywood things based in The UK where you hear ribbiting at night when they go into countryside at night. 

[BOF]

9 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Anyone ever heard a frog "ribbit"?

Another Hollywood invention.  I've seen Hollywood things based in The UK where you hear ribbiting at night when they go into countryside at night. 

Another QI thing. IIRC there's only 1 species of frog that ribbits.

[PussEKatt]

10 minutes ago, BOF said:

Another QI thing. IIRC there's only 1 species of frog that ribbits.

Imho,the only frogs that ribbit are frogs with a lisp.

[PussEKatt]

1 hour ago, BOF said:

And in the USA, whether leaving or arriving at a scene regardless of the speed, the tyres will always squeal/screech to some extent. American rubber must be rubbish

Not only that,but 90% of cars in US movies blow up and catch on fire far to easily.

[Mark Albrighton]

I have mentioned this before but one that stands out for me - and I’m thinking particularly in westerns - a character walks into a bar, they order and receive a drink, no money changes hands. The bartender never seems interested in asking for it, doesn’t offer to set up a tab, nothing. Maybe the idea is that the bartender is just content to get through the day without being shot.

I assume it’s just out of dramatic convenience, I imagine the The Man With No Name would lose a fair amount of his mysterious tough persona if he orders a bourbon and then has to fumble around for the right change because he doesn’t want to break a note/gold bar.

[Seat68]

12 minutes ago, Mark Albrighton said:

I have mentioned this before but one that stands out for me - and I’m thinking particularly in westerns - a character walks into a bar, they order and receive a drink, no money changes hands. The bartender never seems interested in asking for it, doesn’t offer to set up a tab, nothing. Maybe the idea is that the bartender is just content to get through the day without being shot.

I assume it’s just out of dramatic convenience, I imagine the The Man With No Name would lose a fair amount of his mysterious tough persona if he orders a bourbon and then has to fumble around for the right change because he doesn’t want to break a note/gold bar.

I see them toss coins on the bar "2 bits" whatever that is. 

[bickster]

11 minutes ago, Mark Albrighton said:

I have mentioned this before but one that stands out for me - and I’m thinking particularly in westerns - a character walks into a bar, they order and receive a drink, no money changes hands. The bartender never seems interested in asking for it, doesn’t offer to set up a tab, nothing. Maybe the idea is that the bartender is just content to get through the day without being shot.

That just isn't the way bars work in the US though

It might be different now but when I was over there, especially if you're sat at the bar most places you order get your drinks and stick money on the bar, the bar tender will come around later and sort out the payment without bothering you

[Mark Albrighton]

18 minutes ago, bickster said:

That just isn't the way bars work in the US though

It might be different now but when I was over there, especially if you're sat at the bar most places you order get your drinks and stick money on the bar, the bar tender will come around later and sort out the payment without bothering you

Is that how they’d have done it in the ol’ west?

Because if I’m a bartender and I see Mr Hickok’s poker game has turned somewhat sour, I’ve got to go rooting around in his pockets so the bill’s settled? Don’t much fancy doing that.

Ok I’ll modify it - I rarely see Clint Eastwood and his cohorts pay for any drinks full stop. I don’t see the bartender ever say “So it was three whiskies, one sarsaparilla for your friend, then that man was killed, and then I think you had just the one whisky after that…”

And if someone buys a round for the entire (old west) bar, how are they keeping track of what everyone has had? They could write it down as they serve I suppose, would take a while.

[Seat68]

 

 

[mjmooney]

55 minutes ago, Seat68 said:

I see them toss coins on the bar "2 bits" whatever that is. 

10 cents. 

[Chindie]

2 hours ago, sidcow said:

Anyone ever heard a frog "ribbit"?

Another Hollywood invention.  I've seen Hollywood things based in The UK where you hear ribbiting at night when they go into countryside at night. 

 

2 hours ago, BOF said:

Another QI thing. IIRC there's only 1 species of frog that ribbits.

BOF is right on this.

The classic 'ribbit' noise of frogs comes from a species that was local to Hollywood recording studios, the Pacific tree frog. The movies needed frog noises for a nature scene, the recordists went and got the noise nearest to them, that recording becomes 'the noise frogs make' in the societal hivemind globally, despite no other species making the same noise.

[MakemineVanilla]

On 11/06/2023 at 22:40, mjmooney said:

Nothing will convince me of that. I hate canned beer, and will only drink it in an emergency (i.e. nothing else available). 

I am sure that the Germans would have added, "thou shalt not serve beer in a can", to the Reinheitsgebot, if they hadn't thought it too obvious.

A Trappist would cross themselves at the very thought.

[bielesibub]

On 14/06/2023 at 13:44, Seat68 said:

 

 

I really want to watch this now. My favourite - spaghetti or otherwise - Western is Once Upon a Time in the West.

[Designer1]

4 minutes ago, bielesibub said:

My favourite - spaghetti or otherwise - Western is Once Upon a Time in the West.

Superb film. 

Fonda being cast against type as the irredeemable antagonist was a stroke of genius.

So many great scenes.

**** it, i need to watch it over the weekend 

Edited June 15, 2023 by Designer1

[bielesibub]

5 minutes ago, Designer1 said:

Superb film. 

Fonda being cast against type as the irredeemable antagonist was a stroke of genius.

So many great scenes.

**** it, i need to watch it over the weekend 

I might do the same, then I'll whack on Nephilim - Dawnrazor just to complete my weekend and ruin it for the rest of the household!