Hello, Ms. Bancroft... Anne Bancroft was, of course, a busy lady of both stage and screen, and every once in a while those two planes collided, such as in the BBC production of Paddy Chayefsky's The Mother. The play is set in the Bronx, New York in 1954 and deals with family, aging, and accepting reality. … Continue reading Anne Meets Mrs. Fanning
It Takes All Kinds
We all have unpopular opinions, and film is such a subjective topic that there's gonna be division somewhere (Last Jedi, anyone?). Ergo, the idea of coaxing a few secrets out into the open is fraught with intrigue. Here are two of my possibly unpopular opinions, and there are plenty more where these came from. *Impish … Continue reading It Takes All Kinds
A Matter of Hormone Activity
Mr. Lawford's back... It's always nice to unearth a treasure or two in the movie blogging business, and it can be fun to find some turkeys, too. Then there are those movies that straddle both sides, like 1952's You For Me. A straight-ahead rom com, it's nothing if not ambitious. The tone of this movie is set … Continue reading A Matter of Hormone Activity
Oz Goes Highland
Ye Scots, wha wish auld Scotland well! One of the most popular characters on the Christy TV show was, by far, Doctor Neil MacNeill, and one of the most popular show arcs was the triangle between Christy (Kellie Martin), Neil and preacher David Grantland (Randall Batinkoff). Neil was wonderfully played by Stuart Finlay-McLennan, who seemed to burr with the … Continue reading Oz Goes Highland
Fredric the Prefect
Blogathon time... It's always interesting to delve into a performer's very early career, and while Fredric March was a longtime veteran of the screen, sound films were still finding their footing. One of many movies he made in 1932 was the racy Cecil B. DeMille epic, The Sign of the Cross. The film starts in … Continue reading Fredric the Prefect
Too Many Mikes
Van's back, y'all... Who else thinks air travel is fascinating? I do. I like learning about the history of commercial travel because it's interesting to see how things have changed or not changed over the years. Add in a fun romantic story, though, and it's even better. 1951's Three Guys Named Mike is that kind of movie. … Continue reading Too Many Mikes
Announcing the Distraction Blogathon!
MacGuffins. Red herrings. Dangling carrots. Bait-and-switch. Whatever. We all know how movies mess with our heads. And these distractions come in all shapes and sizes. We think Dorothy's ticket home is meeting the Wizard in the Emerald City until Professor Marvel accidentally leaves her behind. We might watch the Pink Panther movies thinking that somewhere … Continue reading Announcing the Distraction Blogathon!
Esther’s New Suit
Hello, Miss Esther... One of the fun things about Esther Williams' movies is seeing all the ways MGM devised to get her into the water, and so far I think my favorite is the 1949 film, Neptune's Daughter. It's not only a fun movie, but it's the point in Esther's career in which she started … Continue reading Esther’s New Suit
Less Phantom, More Opera
Surprise blogathon time... From the 1925 Lon Chaney classic to the beloved Andrew Lloyd Webber leviathan of a musical, The Phantom of the Opera is a perennial showstopper with its soaring music, swinging chandelier, and all-around creepiness. Sandwiched among the many onscreen iterations is the 1943 version starring Claude Rains as the Phantom with Nelson … Continue reading Less Phantom, More Opera
The Man With No Name
Yee haw... Ah, 1964's Per Un Pugno Di Dollari, better known as A Fistful of Dollars. I've never seen it until now, but I always felt as if I had since it's pretty notorious. If Stagecoach is the Bela Lugosi of westerns, A Fistful of Dollars is Christopher Lee with a generous dash of Kung Fu. Or something like … Continue reading The Man With No Name
Why “Peter Pan” Might Be Your Ideal First Silent Movie
Swish, swish... Who else likes silent movies? I do. I'm no expert, but I've been dipping my toe into that pool for a few years now and it feels fine. One of my favorites is Peter Pan, which came out in 1924 and stars Betty Bronson as Peter, Mary Brian as Wendy, and Esther Ralston as Mrs. … Continue reading Why “Peter Pan” Might Be Your Ideal First Silent Movie
There’s A New Sheriff In Town
Looking for a few good men... Anyone who's ever been in a school anywhere, teacher or student, public, private, religious, whatever, knows that the average class can smell fear. Even a Sunday school class can be fraught with peril. Some teachers claw their way through it. Others buckle. Still others end up bringing it, whether … Continue reading There’s A New Sheriff In Town
Brave Walter Mitty
I'll see you in my dreams... I remember reading "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" in the eighth grade because my lit teacher, Mz. Howell was a big James Thurber fan (Yes, she spelled her "Ms." with a "Z." She was a fun lady.). Anyway, the story was originally published in the March 18, 1939 … Continue reading Brave Walter Mitty
Broadway Bound 2021: Afterparty
We have come to the end of the blogathon, people. Hope everyone's had a great weekend! It seems cheesy to say, but I know I have. I've read some of your entries and I'm looking forward to working my way through the rest. Speaking of which, the party is still going on, so if anyone … Continue reading Broadway Bound 2021: Afterparty
The Wind Has Changed
For my third and last post of this blogathon, I'll be looking at the 2008 film, Doubt, which was based on the Tony and Pulitzer-winning play of the same name. The only things I knew about it before I watched it was that it stars Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams, and a lot … Continue reading The Wind Has Changed
Broadway Bound 2021: Day Three
Hi, all, we're back for Day Three. How is everyone doing? And who's ready for another round of impressive entries from our intrepid bloggers? Of course, if anyone is just joining us, here are Days One and Two. And now for Day Three... MovieRob brings us his third and final review of the blogathon with 1975's The … Continue reading Broadway Bound 2021: Day Three
Swing Heil
In my opinion, Robert Sean Leonard is one of the most competent and interesting actors of my generation. This guy has been in it since he was a young kid. He can sing, dance, read Shakespeare, and handle both drama and comedy. Basically everything that's respectable in show business. And of course, Leonard is a … Continue reading Swing Heil
Taking Up Room 