'Busby Boys'

Horses, eh? They were clearly ahead of their time. When I was a child, most books featuring young people and horses were written for boys. By the time my generation started to have kids, bookstores started to seperate books for girls into "horse" and "non-horse" books. I had a horse, as a child, by the way, and I was very fond of her. But I never got into any adventures. I was a bit upset that the adults (including my mother) were never tired criticizing books about amateur juvenile detectives (like the Three Investigators, for example), because they were so "unrealistic". But at the same time, the adults were watching cop shows on TV that were just as unrealistic, except that the protagonists were adults.

I agree that the characters in Pitfall are realistic. All of them. I've met several women who were like Mona. They were gorgeous women who could have virtually every man available…but unknowingly always chose one bad ones. Over and over again.
Guys like Mac aren't that rare, either. Throughout my life I've met several men who believed persistence is the key. My opinion, however, is that a woman decides within minutes, sometimes even seconds, whether she likes a guy or not. There must have been a reason why Mona chose the mousy John over Mac…maybe it's a pheromone thing, who knows.
I liked that they gave Forbes a beautiful wife instead of a repulsive hag. Nothing in John's life is bad per se. His job is better than hundreds of other occupations, his wife is beautiful, and although she is strong-willed and not easily intimidated, she doesn't bully him either. There's nothing wrong with his son, either. How many children actually ask there father "Is there anything you want me to do today, Dad?" before they leave for school? No, the problem is within John Forbes himself, and his affair with Mona is pure escapism. Mona definitely deserved better, but Smiley and Mac would make poor choices, too. In the case of Mac, it was probably Mona's instinct that warned her, but her instinct must have been out of order when she was around Johnny or Smiley.


You may cross-examine.

JudyLaHara, rosaryplier: I'm thoroughly enjoying this thread and the exchanges between the two of you,

I had the good pleasure to see The Strange Loves of Martha Ivers few years ago and I thought Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Kirk Douglas and Lizabeth Scott were all terrific in this tale of long-buried sordid deeds coming back to haunt Stanwyck and Douglas; impressive film debut for Douglas, too; and the criminally underrated Van Heflin gave his usual solid performance.

As for Pitfall, I've become, in recent years, quite the aficiando for Dick Powell flicks and how he re-invented himself from pretty-boy crooner of thirties musicals to one of Hollywood's potboiler kings!

I felt badly for Lizabeth Scott's character and felt Powell's character should have gone to bat for her more than he had done by movie's end. Nevertheless, a very satisfying viewing experience with a taut script and multi-dimensional characterizations.

Okay folks, show's over, nothing to see here!