In the nineteen-thirties and early nineteen-forties Errol Flynn was a lithe, magnetic romantic lead, but as the forties went on his reputation was tarnished by a statutory rape trial, drug abuse, rampant alcoholism, running after women, and other sordid activities. By the nineteen-fifties hard living was catching up to him, plus his finances and his … Continue reading Dealing For Life
One Month Until the Neighbors Blogathon
Zoikes, the blogoverse is hopping right now--May is going to be jam-packed. The more, the merrier, right? So yeah, thirty days to go until the Neighbors Blogathon, all, and thanks so much to everyone who's signed up for Quiggy's and my Neighbors Blogathon! Of course, if anyone would like to join us, there are tons … Continue reading One Month Until the Neighbors Blogathon
Announcing the Norman Jewison Blogathon
Another blogathon! As many of you no doubt know, we lost Norman Jewison on January 20th of this year at the ripe old age of ninety-seven, and I thought it would be nice to pay tribute to his life and work. Jewison was born in Toronto on July 21, 1926 and made his screen debut … Continue reading Announcing the Norman Jewison Blogathon
No Room Is Truly Empty
The 1948 film, Enchantment has been on my Amazon watchlist so long that I kind of block it out, but this year I decided to take a chance on it. Put it this way: What seems familiar can still surprise us. Enchantment opens in London during the Second World War, with a towncar pulling up to a … Continue reading No Room Is Truly Empty
That Day In September
Mr. Holden is back... William Holden had a long career right up until his death in 1981, and one of his very late credits is the 1976 TV film 21 Hours at Munich, which chronicles the fateful Munich Massacre on September 5, 1972, right in the middle of what were being called Die heiteren Spiele or … Continue reading That Day In September
During World War Two: On the Air
The Second World War has been referred to as "a radio war," simply because radio was such an integral part of relaying information to the public about bond drives, rationing, the latest news, and other aspects of living on the home front, but radio was probably the most special for Americans on the frontlines. Imagine … Continue reading During World War Two: On the Air
Thirty Days Until the It’s In the Name of the Title Blogathon
The It's In the Name of the Title Blogathon is already a month away...can you believe it? It feels as if Gill and I just announced this thing. Oh wait, we did just announce a whole three weeks ago. Anyway, Gill and I are highly gratified and flattered at how excited everyone is for this … Continue reading Thirty Days Until the It’s In the Name of the Title Blogathon
Hitch Films Another Play
Good evening... Hitchcock was no stranger to filming plays. His first one was the limp Juno And the Paycock, a depressing affair that was only made bearable by Sara Allgood. Almost a quarter of a century later, Hitch was feeling a little stagnant, so he decided to film another play, Dial M For Murder, which was released … Continue reading Hitch Films Another Play
It’s Wabbit Season
Here come the B's... Hollywood was desperate to bring people back into the theater starting in the fifties. There was also that pesky problem of once-guaranteed revenue streams disappearing, so belts had to be tightened in so many respects. MGM was no different than any other studio, but given what they had been for audiences … Continue reading It’s Wabbit Season
The Sunshine Is Back (Again)
Good day, sunshine! My lovely friend, Gill, of Realweegiemidget Reviews has nominated me for another Sunshine Award...thank you, Gill! I'm starting to lose count of how many times this award has come my way and that's not a complaint. Sunshine Awards are fun because it's a nice way for us film bloggers to get to … Continue reading The Sunshine Is Back (Again)
Cooking With the French Chef: Coquilles Saint-Jacques
Welcome back to Cooking With the French Chef, in which I make recipes from the new edition of Julia Child's French Chef Cookbook and review episodes of Julia's original TV series, The French Chef. Past installments can be found here. Coquilles Saint-Jacques is a dish I've been wanting to make for a long time but never … Continue reading Cooking With the French Chef: Coquilles Saint-Jacques
Inspiration, Imagination, and Intrepidation
We all know what they say about March: It comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, or vice versa. My neck of the woods seemed to get a mixture of that this year, but in terms of movies, the "I's" had it. Lots of inspiring stories of intrepid people. Lots of … Continue reading Inspiration, Imagination, and Intrepidation
Sergeant Dodo Goes To Camp
Nowadays, of course, B-pictures are not a thing, but at one time in Hollywood they were a staple. Also at one time in Hollywood, Hal Roach worked with the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, and Harold Lloyd. In the nineteen-thirties he was especially known for his Little Rascals series, also known as Our Gang, but … Continue reading Sergeant Dodo Goes To Camp
Taking Up Room 